Y O R O K O B I
by Manaxsavior
Summary: Fujimoto lost a lot of things in his lifetime. "I won't be able to spend tomorrow with you." He sure as hell wasn't going to lose her a second time... Even if it meant forcing her to remember. Fujibato
1. Prologue: Vanishing Act

**Y O R O KO B I – K A N A S H I M I**

Summary: What would have happened if Fujumoto never gave Kobato the konpeito back? Would things still be the same?

Alright, I'm going to have this in Fujimoto's point of view…so yeah…

Chapter Prologue: Vanishing Act

This is pretty much end of ep 23 and opening of 24…so it's an introduction. This is...kinda an experimental work in progress. It was mainly to jumpstart me back up b/c i'm ONCE AGAIN stuck on my main Bleach story. So, for a while I got this to get back into the grove. AP English is draining me of my fanfiction-ness. Wahhh! But it did help with sentence structure...hmmm. XD

* * *

"_Fujimoto-san."_

This had to be a dream, right? It was some horrible dream that I was having for eating something weird before bed, like fish cakes or something canned.

"_I won't be able to spend tomorrow with you."_

So I was going to wake up soon, right?

I ran throughout the town, asking around for that stupid girl. Why was I so damn worried! All she did was leave…without telling me…

"_I care about you, Fujimoto-san."_

Her voice resounded in my mind as I paused to take a breather from my non-stop running.

"_Oh course I'm worried about someone I care about!"_

Tch, I've gone soft

Hold on, there was one more place I haven't checked…

The park wasn't very far from my destination. I bolted. I could bet my face was flushed and the clothes on my back stuck to my skin from the sweat. My lungs screamed for rest, but I denied them that pleasure.

Then there she was, standing on top of one of the structures at the playground. Her luggage was beside her as she stared up to the heavens. She must have heard my footsteps because she turned around in surprise. Her long hair spun around her like a shroud.

I came to a slow halt and said the first thing that came to mind. "What are you doing!"

"Fujimoto-san…"

It looked like she couldn't comprehend the reason why I was here. Truth be told, I didn't know either.

With what little breath I was getting, I asked once more. "Where are you going?"

"I…don't know."

I didn't know if what I was feeling then. Confusion? Concern? Anger? Maybe it was all of it and more. It burst into my voice as my green eyes narrowed at her brownish amber ones. "Don't give me that!"

She was unfazed and seemed to laugh a little. "Even in the end, you're still angry with me." That's not what I wanted to hear. But once again, I speak without thinking.

"Of course I am! You can't just disappear without saying anything!"

"I'm sorry." She bowed and guilt ate away at me. I cursed at myself. I was always like this. Especially to her. My words must have hurt her so many times. All she wanted to do was help me and I push her away. When she ends up leaving, I want her to stay. What the hell was wrong with me!

"Did I...did I hurt your feelings?"

The girl raised her head and frowned. "NO! That's not it!" She denied my words, but the pain in her eyes told a different story in my perspective.

"Then why?"

Her body froze and then she looked away, unable to answer my question.

I was sick of the smile that hid her own pain as she helped others. I wanted to know more about the girl that appeared in my life and made me want to turn it around.

The next few moments pretty much blew my mind. I can't even process it at all now. Apparently, stuffed animals can talk and bright blue crowns on top of heads mean you're dead.

All my logic just went to hell

He began to explain the things I never knew about her and the 'mission' she was given. She was dead and there was no world she was able to exist in (I thought one was enough!).

"She had the chance to be reborn just one time and live life over." The blue stuffed animal explained as she refused to look me in the eyes. The hat that she always wore must have been hiding it. But, how was this all possible?

"Wait, what is this!"

"But…" he ignored me. A soft giggle was carried by the wind.

A small while rabbit appeared floating near her head as it held a pink flower. Finally, she managed to look me in the eyes with that damned smile on her face.

I hated it

"She was more worried about spending her time with _you_ than fulfilling the contract."

What?

"Thus, the contract…" the plushie paused.

How clichéd…

"Was broken."

It was almost like a trigger. The blue crown on her head flashed as some beam of light surrounded her…

Like a prison

"That's why I have to go away." She spoke softly, grinning at me almost sheepishly.

I never noticed my legs moving on their own

My body rushed up the platform as I attempted to get closer, but that damn light stopped me in my tracks. "You have got to be kidding me. Oi!" She seemed to be surprised at my actions as much as I was, but she smiled again nonetheless.

"I was very happy when I was with you." I felt the pain in her voice and felt my heart speed up. Something was lifting the heavy weights off my chest, but at the same time it was crushing my heart without mercy.

Tears began to build up in the corners of her eyes. All I could do was hopelessly watch the tears falling down her cheeks while she stupidly force a smile for me.

That idiot…

"This won't do…" her hand reached forward to touch what felt like a cold glass barrier between us. Now that I think about it, my hand is so much larger than hers. Her hand mirrored mine, but I couldn't feel the warm radiating from it at all.

This sounded strangely familiar…

"I wanted to say goodbye with a smile…"

Stop it

Don't smile

If you're crying, you're not supposed to be laughing or smiling about it!

Damn it…wasn't there anything I could do!

The stupid rabbit seemed to notice the turmoil going on and waved that weird flower. There was a burst of light and I saw her flinch in something akin to pain. She lowered her head and her pinkish-brown bangs shadowed her eyes.

I couldn't take it anymore

I turned to the rabbit pleading. "Stop! Please!"

In response, she looked back up at me. The tears were now gone but the smile remained. "Fujimoto-san…"

I didn't care if I looked downright pathetic right now. All that mattered were the final words she spoke. This could possibly be the last time I hear her soft voice.

She sighed happily and put a hand to her chest. "You're the person I care about the most." Her eyes closed momentarily as she continued. "I always have…and I always will."

I…

"Forever."

I think I…

"Don't go!"

'_Crack'_

Suddenly the glass shattered, spilling shards everywhere. I thought that I would at least get slightly injured, but even as the glass hit me it just passed through like nothing.

I stared at her for a moment. The falling shards of glass surrounding her made her look so angelic and delicate. Maybe it sounded corny, but I didn't know how else to describe it. I had to smile just a bit for reasons unknown. She mirrored the gesture, and this smile I allowed.

A small beacon of light started at my chest as a small object came out, floating in front of her. She stared at it curiously.

"Konpeito?"

Candy? What the…?

It then went into the jar she had on the suitcase. Flashes of light almost made me fall over from the shock. It filled up as I began to get the feeling of overwhelming dread…I didn't know why, but it _still_ felt like…

"Fujimoto-san's konpeito…" she grabbed the bottle and held it close to her chest. "It's so warm…"

Like she was saying goodbye…

Once again, I couldn't comprehend what was going on next. There was shouting, flames, and a tornado of cherry blossoms. What the hell was going on? I was beginning to get dizzy from trying to take it all in.

"What's going on?"

The girl then looked at me again with the smile. "There's somewhere I must go."

Where though? Tell me…

"Sayonara…"

Her body flashed as well. I didn't know what was going on, but I went forward in an attempt to pull her in and embrace her. I felt the warmth of her body flush against mine for merely a second before she burst into light and disappeared with the cherry blossoms. All I could do was stare at the small petals being carried away by the wind.

The rabbit looked at me for a moment before waving its flower once more. My eyes began to get heavy as darkness consumed me.

* * *

"_Fujimoto-san!"_

"_You're a meanie!"_

"_I'm so sorry!"_

"_I'll try my best!"_

My eyes reopened due to the light streaming through the curtains. I groaned, sitting up and rubbing my eyes to wake up faster. A sound brought my senses back faster. It was from the room adjacent to mine, which was strange to say the least.

I pulled some decent clothes on and went to check the door. I didn't expect to actually be tackled by a huge futon though!

Wait, it was just those twins…

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, sorry!"

"Mama wanted us to move this mattress out."

I frowned. "A mattress?" I peered into the room with curiosity. My mind raced with questions. I only voiced out one though. "Why was there a mattress in an empty room?"

* * *

The day went by slowly. Maybe it was because there was practically nothing to do. Yomogi Nursery closed down about three months ago. I thought I would be a little relieved since Sayaka didn't have to worry about debts anymore. Plus, I could focus on becoming a lawyer. But…something was missing…

I attended school more often now. Since I had more free time, it was easier to attend the lectures…

Well, that's what I want to say. Even in the little lectures I go to, I don't really pay attention. Domoto had even noticed my recent lack in enthusiasm.

"I thought you wanted to become a lawyer." He frowned and joined me at the lunch table. "They said you haven't even been taking notes when you do show up. What's wrong?"

"Nothing in particular," I stared wantonly at my uneaten food. Jeez, can't you understand when a guy needs to eat in peace Domoto?

"Something up with you," he smiled with concern etched in his features. "Something took the wind out of your sails."

"Not really," My stomach grumbled quietly in protest.

"I guess it's understandable." He looked down in thought. "You _did_ lose something important to you after all."

My body froze… Maybe Domoto knew something about this!

"It's been what…three months now?" I frowned, already feeling defeated. "It's really too bad what happened to the nursery."

"I'm…I'm not really worried about that. Just…"

Whenever I look back… it's like there's an empty place where someone might have been. It's unnerving! I can almost hear a voice…but I get a migraine when I try to remember.

"'Just?'"

Domoto helped me snap out of it as I blinked.

"Nah…never mind…"

I wasn't hungry anymore

* * *

After work (And after visiting the construction site once known as Yomogi Nursery), I began to make my way home. Thunder and lightning clashed in the sky and rain began to fall.

'_Crap, I left the laundry out!_' I cursed and ran. Once I made it back, I was soaked to the bone. I swiftly pulled my now ruined jackets off the line, but a small light caught my attention. It landed on my desk and sat there innocently, as if it was waiting to be found.

I set the clothes down and studied the small object.

Konpeito?

Then it all clicked

It was like the haze that shrouded my mind was swept away. Memories flooded back to me. Memories that I should never have forgotten.

"_I'm not just making a big deal out of it!"_

"_I'll do my best!"_

"_You're such a meanie…"_

"_Fujimoto-san! You looked so cute as a little boy!"_

"_You worked hard too, Fujimoto-san!"_

"_Look! The snow is so pretty!"_

"_Fujimoto-san…"_

"_You're the person I care about the most. I always have…and I always will. Forever…"_

Crap…

How could this have happened?

How could I have forgotten about her?

What the hell have I been doing until now?

I rushed out the doors once more, immediately feeling the harsh rain pelt my skin.

Now _this_ was familiar. It was exactly the same as the night I tried to find her.

I dashed all around the town, asking people around if they had seen or even remembered her. Sayaka thought I was overworking myself. I at least thought Domoto would remember her! Heck, he was into her I know it! Triol had no recollection of a part-time worker under her name. Even that guy from Okiura's group had no idea what I was talking about. She freaking saved his life!

Was I the only one that remembered?

The adrenaline rush that fueled me died down as I passed where a ginko tree once stood. That was where she stupidly stood in the way of a falling tree. She was so clumsy that it was easy to tell when she would trip or fall.

The sound of footsteps awoke me from my thoughts and I saw that girl the doctor was always with. Kohaku was her name I think. With newfound hope, I ran over.

"Excuse me!"

She turned and smiled. It was so similar to hers. "Oh, good morning!"

I panted and hoped without words she would understand the question I've been asking everyone. My lungs burned and the rain mixed in with my sweat made me shiver from the cold. She studied me for a while before saying, "You're not here about newspaper delivery again, are you."

She allowed me in and offered me a towel to at least dry off most of the moisture. I felt guilty that I was trailing on the tatami mats, but she said she would clean it up later. I placed the photo that used to have her in the center and showed it to her.

"Do you remember the girl that was in this picture? Long hair, brown eyes, and clumsy as… Well, the most clumsy person you'll ever meet?" I asked. For some odd reason, I didn't want to say any vulgar language such as 'hell.' Oh well.

She smiled again. "Yes, I remember."

Relief flooded into me like a warm breeze and I prepared my next question. "I can't find anyone who remembers her. Why can you?"

She closed her eyes and spoke to me cryptically. "Is that really what you want to ask? Is there anything else?"

I thoughts about it for a moment and then pulled the towel off my neck. "Please tell me. When she disappeared, she said there was somewhere she had to go. What's that supposed to mean?"

The woman sighed, her eyes still closed. "If you want to hear the truth, you have to promise me that you won't be too shocked by what I tell you."

Shocked? Just try me. I'll get a kick out of the 'Angels are real! There's one right in front of you!' or 'Oh, your memories are in the form of feathers, so you have to find them!'

Damn, I've been reading too much manga…

"Okay?"

Shoot, she had been talking.

"Y-yeah…"

Kohaku took a shaky breath in and opened her eyes half-lidded. "Long ago, she lost her life due to something unfortunate that occurred in another world."

I froze. "Her…life?"

"_She's dead…"_

"_Some people really do die just because of some tiny, little thing…"_

"_She had the chance to live life over."_

"Kobato's wish…" She paused. "Was to transcend time, and be reborn by the side of her love. That was what she wished for. For that wish to be fulfilled, she was given a task and sent down to earth." Kohaku continued. All of this surprisingly wasn't getting me dizzy this time. Maybe it was because it wasn't a stuffed animal explaining it to me… "Her soul had only the span of four seasons…"

Four seasons…

That whole time…she's been doing all that? Wait…but she hardly did anything else other than help out at Yomogi Nursery!

"Then, she's already…there?" I asked hopefully. Or was it something else?

"I don't know…" she answered and smiled sorrowfully. "Over my long, long years with Shuichiro, we've parted in tears so many times."

"Shuichiro…" I thought about it. "The doctor, right?" No way…she had a thing with the doctor? Well, she did stop by to get beer for him…erm, off topic.

"Yes." Kohaku placed her hand on her chest. "As Shuichiro is reborn…"

Reborn…?

"Yes, as he is reborn, we meet again." It was almost as if she could read my thoughts…and my hopes. "Our hearts are drawn together. Even if our memories of previous lives are lost…we still bear the same souls."

I stared at her. Kohaku definitely had more to her than meets the eye. But that was information I did not need to know. At the beginning, I knew it was kind of like a test. She would only tell me the things I needed to know.

"As long as our souls continue to pass on… No matter how many times…" she smiled reassuringly at me. "I'm sure we'll meet."

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**Please _REVIEW_**

So I know if I should scrap the story or not


	2. 01: House on the Hill

**Y O R O KO B I – K A N A S H I M I**

Summary: What would have happened if Fujumoto never gave Kobato the konpeito back? Would things still be the same?

Chapter One: House on the hill

Sorry if this is shorter than you wanted. I couldn't make it longer or else the transition into the next chappy would be weird... Also, some events will go along what happened in the manga and others in the anime…and most from the confines of my semi-sane mind. XD

If you don't review, Kobato will cook rice porridge for you!

...did I get the numbers right in the beginning?

* * *

The seasons came and gone. The spring in which she appeared and the spring she left passed.

Sixteen seasons

One thousand four hundred sixty days

Thirty-five thousand and forty hours

In a nutshell: Four years

I believed the words Kohaku had told me on that rainy day. I believed that I would one day meet her again and at least be able to apologize for everything I've done. I thought that maybe she'd be able to tell me the place she wanted to go. Maybe I could get her there. If I had one more chance…

"Fujimoto-kun!" called a voice as I almost dropped the book I was holding. "It's from secretary Hattori at the court."

"Got it!"

Yeah, I got the job as a lawyer. School was hell, especially after being so behind in my studies. Sayaka and Okiura actually helped out with my tuition fee even though I tried to decline. They were steady once more and decided to open up another nursery. This time, I told him that if he ever messed up he would regret it.

"Ah, can't think about that now," I murmured and flipped through the file that was my next job. I was back home after a grueling day of work behind a desk. It was boring, but it paid the bills at least.

So, it was an inheritance case. Something about the father who passed away. The original persons the will was going towards were already dead, so it was to go to the next person: his granddaughter.

I quickly skimmed through but let out a yawn. The clock said 2:09 AM. Damn, it's going to be fun waking up tomorrow.

Tomorrow…

My tired eyes glanced over to the handkerchief I always carried around with me. It rested peacefully on the coffee table. Inside the neatly folded cloth was the small candy. It was the only proof I had of her. It was the only way I knew that she existed. I never kept any of the pictures of the 'mysterious life forms' she drew at the bazaar, or the strange penguins either. The few pictures I actually owned the year she appeared always had an empty spot in them. I locked those away, because every time I saw them it was like it denied her existence.

I let a deep sigh escape me as I leaned back into the soft sofa. My eyes slowly began to droop…

"_Fujimoto-san,"_ I thought I heard her voice echo firmly in my mind. _"You'll get sick if you sleep there!"_

"Aa," I groaned and reluctantly pulled myself away from the comfortable couch. I made my way to the bedroom. "I'm going, I'm going… Jeez, annoying girl…"

A part of me must have gone insane within the last four years, because whenever I felt like giving up on her I would always feel _someone_ pulling me along with that stupid grin on their face.

* * *

While it wasn't hard to find the address of the place, getting there was a different story. I had to take a freaking train just to get there. Not only that, but apparently there wasn't much transport in the city either. So, I had to walk the rest of the way there. Did I forget to mention there was a steep hill I had to climb just to get there?

This was probably why the old man made me do this client…damn it

As I got closer to the top, I noticed the songs of birds in the air and the full scent of flowers. The whole field was full of flora and the surrounding area had cherry blossom trees. It was beautifully kept even though no one was supposed to have been living here for quite some time.

I went inside and tried to turn the lights on in the dimly lit space.

'_Looks like a circuit blew…_' I thought since the lights didn't turn on. Just my luck. Well, at least I could relatively see. I made my way into the most lit room, which had a bay window overlooking the front garden. Setting my things down, I opened the window and studied the room. There was a piano, which brought my full attention. My eyes shifted side to side and I shrugged. The client was supposed to be here already… Oh well. If they're late, then they won't mind if I play a little.

I played a chord experimentally and sat down. I took the handkerchief out and set it on the smooth black piano. I haven't played for her in a while… I used to get into the habit of doing this more often, but I guess work got me out of it.

Taking in a deep breath, I began.

It was a slow a memorable piece. To be more exact, it was the song I heard her sing the day I met her. Heh, I remember like it was yesterday. She was getting picked up by two perverted idiots. At first, I thought either she had no common sense or no respect for her own body. It turned out being the former.

We fought a lot, or maybe it was mainly me teasing her

I never knew how fun those days actually were. Before, I wouldn't come close to talking with anyone like that. I don't even play around with Sayaka or Domoto. I guess I'll never find out how she got so close to me, nor do I want to know why I allowed it. If I figured out a reason, I might get hurt again. I might get left alone again. I selfishly wanted her to stay, even though I continued to hurt and tease her. When she wanted to be with me, I treat her like dirt and I accuse her of pitying me. How cruel was I?

_The flowers that bloom under the summer sky_

My eyes widened and I nearly jumped out of the piano seat. Could it be?

_Within my heart…_

'_**TRIP'**_

"Wahhh!"

…

No comment

* * *

"Oh, so you're the lawyer!" The girl spoke and smiled brightly at me. It put all the flowers to shame. "It's nice to meet you!"

It was hard to take this in and not double over from the emotional kicks to the stomach. Here she was at an arms-distance away from me…and she didn't remember me? Well…it could have been someone different. Yeah, maybe some twin she never told me about!

…but there was no way. The way those eyes sparkled and her voice were far too alike even for a twin. It had to be…

"Pleased to…meet…you." I struggled with a small smile of my own as I recalled my conversation with Kohaku all those years ago.

_"Even if our memories of previous lives are lost…"_

"_Fujimoto-san is the person I care about the most. I always have…and I always will. Forever…"_

"The piano…" she started. She probably felt the awkward atmosphere I gave off and decided to start a conversation. "You're really good at playing the piano."

"Oh, I'm sorry for not asking first."

"That's funny… For some reason I feel like I know that melody." The girl went into thought and a ray of hope flowed through my mind.

'_Hold on Kiyokazu…get yourself together! You don't want to freak her out by saying, _"_Oh, yeah. We met before except you were dead with a floating crown on your head!"'_ I thought. Actually, I just noticed now that her head lacked the hat she always wore.

I smiled fondly. "Really? It's a song an old love used to sing." I stared at her meaningfully, hoping she might catch the hint. "I've been looking for her for a long time."

"Oh?" she gave me a reassuring grin like she always used to. "I hope you find her."

My smile dropped a bit but at least her being here gave me some relief. Heh, it wouldn't be her if she understood right away. She always was a little slow when it came to that. I would never admit out loud that it was that charm of hers that made her so damn cute. "Yeah. Anyway, do you mind if I inspect the house?"

"Yes, please go right on ahead!"

It was a relatively easy job. Anyone could have done it, even a newbie. However, I almost always stumbled or messed up a letter when I felt her eyes on me.

Damn it, I was getting distracted.

Even when she wasn't looking at me, I was at her. She was exactly the same, which made me question a bit. If she was 'reborn', then she would be considerably younger than me. However, she looked almost the exact same age as when she left. Maybe a year or two older.

I'm tempted to ask Kohaku about that later…

"Alright. Everything checks out." I closed the book with a sigh and she grinned once more. "I just have to go back to the office and clear up the formalities."

"Sure! Thank you so much!"

My eyes wandered to the candy I left on the piano. I was tempted to give it to her, but I decided against it. Who knows? Maybe it wasn't to be… So this would probably be the only thing I'd be able to have of her to remember.

That didn't stop me from trying though.

"Hey…" I trailed off, not know what the hell I was doing.

She tilted her head curiously. "Yes?"

"Do you think I can see you tomorrow?"

Crap…I sound like a creeper...

I noticed her confused look as I quickly recovered. "E-Erm, I mean… I might have to check with the will again to make sure that the estate was the only thing… So, maybe we could talk about it more over some tea?"

"Sure! I would like that." She answered kindly. I had to smile. She was simply too innocent. If I were her, I would report me to the police…

"Alright… I'll come here tomorrow around noon and we'll discuss it some more." I nodded and grabbed my things.

She watched my back leave the estate while waving.

The stupid smile was still on her face.

Or maybe it was on mine?

* * *

WAH! Second chapter done! Hehe, yay, people like the story! I want to try and keep this short, b/c if I drag it on it will never be finished. O_O. Expect time skips and fluffy moments b/c I'm trying to tone down the angst in my other stories...even though there WILL be sad moments in this... I'm already working on the next chappy!


	3. 02: Accompany Me!

Y O R O KO B I – K A N A S H I M I

Summary: What would have happened if Fujumoto never gave Kobato the konpeito back? Would things still be the same?

Chapter Two: Accompany me!

Finally some development…and a twist!

This part...might feel like a filler to you. Dunno. I know the next one will be drastically different (Or at least I'll try to make it so). Fujimoto, enjoy your days of happiness while you can, hehe.

Thank you guys for reviewing! I'm glad I managed to not botch up this wonderful anime. And I just love making CLAMP references (Maybe i'll put the tsubasa gang in one chapter)

* * *

11:58…

11:59…

12:00…

I wonder how long I've been standing there with my hand hovering over the door to knock… C'mon Kiyokazu, you've been through worse. Surely you could man up enough and knock on the freaking door!

…12:02

"Damn it…" I cursed under my breath and finally knocked. Why was I acting so nervous again? This wasn't like me. I was always calm and had a cool head.

'_Yeah, until you lost it four years ago when stuffed animals could talk.'_ I could hear my consciousness mock me but I pushed it away when I heard the sound of locks being opened as well as the door. There she was, clad in a simple lilac dress with darker purple accents. Around her waist was a purple ribbon and on top of her head was a hat with a fake rose on top.

Memories of a blue crown made me shiver because of its meaning, but I perished the thought. I just saw her head yesterday. There was no way another blue crown could show up, right…?

"Ah! Erm…Fujimoto Kiyozaku-san, right?" she struggled with the name to remember. I nodded, slightly pleased with the fact we were getting somewhere.

"Yeah… And you're K—" Crap…I never really caught her name. I forgot to check the name again this morning because I was in a rush. Did she even have the same name? "Erm…I mean."

"Hanato Kobato!" she beamed.

Still the little dove I see. That'll make things a bit easier then.

"So, shall we go?" I asked, extending a hand to her like a gentleman. 'Kobato' nodded, taking my hand to help her off the steps. It was a sunny day, so I wouldn't blame her for bringing a hat (Even though it still unnerved me). Since it wasn't a very 'businesslike' outing, I simply wore dark jeans and white t-shirt under a black unbuttoned shirt.

There was a coffee shop in town called Hanami. It also doubled as a bakery, so I though she might like it. Her eyes lit up as we approached, so I gave myself a nice pat on the back...mentally, not physically you morons.

The people there seemed friendly and seemed to greet us honestly.

"Welcome—Kobato-chan!" the male owner said as I concealed my surprise. Hold on a sec…he looked familiar. "Back I see? I haven't seen you in a long while!"

"Yes. I'm sorry!" she bowed and grinned sheepishly. "A lot happened recently."

Tch, yeah, your grandfather died… At least be a bit truthful with your feelings.

"So, Kobato-chan," another girl came from around the counter. She had short sandy brown hair and lively green eyes. The uniform she wore was a white maid outfit with light pink and red accents. "Anything you want today?"

"Ah! Sakura-san!" it looked like Kobato was about to tackle her to the ground in a hug, but she restrained herself.

The shopkeeper looked at me with curious brown eyes. "And you are…?"

"He's the lawyer that helped out with grandpa's will," Kobato explained for me.

"Fujimoto Kiyokazu," I studied the man carefully and then frowned skeptically. "You're not…Touya… Are you? Kinomoto Touya?"

He blinked for a bit before rubbing his eyes and taking a closer look at me. Yeah, like that will help. Who else do you know has long hair tied behind them?

"F-Fujimoto! It is you!" Touya grinned and went around the counter to pat me on the back. "Jeez, How long has it been? Four years? I still remember the day we had that part-time jobs as rabbits!"

"Ushagi-san!" both Kobato and the girl named Sakura corrected in unison. Oh yeah, now that you mention it…she did say that name those years ago. Although her voice sounded so weird. I think I gave her cough drops then…

"Alright, alright. For heaven's sake…" Touya rolled his eyes and showed them to their seats. "Anything I can get ya? It'll be on the house!"

"B-But Touya-san…" Kobato began but Sakura pat her head.

"Don't worry about it! We haven't seen you in forever, so take this as a welcome back present." The green-eyed girl disappeared behind the curtain towards the kitchen. She returned with two menus. "Pick something to drink for now. I'll come back in a few, okay?"

I stared at the menu for a bit and decided quickly on a simple cup of iced coffee. The girl across from me studied the menu with a deep frown. It seemed almost unreal that she was right across from me still. I've been separated from her for four years…and I only just met up with her again yesterday. I miss the days I could constantly tease her, saying she was late and such…

"Fujimoto-san…" she spoke to me confused and near dizzy. "There's so much! I don't know what to choose!"

"I thought you went here before."

"Yes, but my brother used to order for me! I don't remember what it was!"

Brother?

"You have a brother?" I asked. Oh, that's right. We were supposed to talk about the will. This new information will be important…

She placed the menu down and nodded. "Uhm, yes, but he's far away now. I visit him every month or so though." There was something odd about her tone but I ignored it.

"Well, do you remember what it tasted like?"

Her eyes shut in thought. "Hmm… It was a cold drink…but tea! And it was a little sweet too…"

I put a hand to my chin as I looked at the drink menu. "There are a bunch of sweet teas… Anything else you remember?"

"Uhm… It was refreshing?" she said it like a question, as if she didn't want to displease me with her lack of information. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize," I sighed and decided to call over Touya. "Hey, do you remember what she used to drink here?"

"Hm…I don't really remember myself. I'll bring a few samples out and you could pick one out!"

"Really! Thank you!" Kobato beamed as he got small cups to put the different samples in. I was surprised at how she was treated here. Well, I doubt anyone could possibly hate her or bear ill will.

…

Hey, don't look at me!

Anyway, Touya brought out five small cups and he also brought out a black blindfold.

"Oi, Fujimoto! Tie this over her eyes for me." He placed the cups carefully as I took the cloth.

"Why am I doing this?" I stood from my seat and got behind her. She removed her hat and I sighed in relief with the lack of crown on her head. Carefully, I placed it over her eyes and tied it. Inevitably, my hands sifted through her pinkish-brown locks. It was soft and silky, exactly how I imagined it to feel.

…

Oh god, that made me sound like a pervert… Stop it. Stop writing me like this!

Touya chuckled. "Usually, it's easier to remember senses if you single it out as much as possible."

Kobato clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh! This looks like fun!"

But you can't see, idiot

I wanted to say that but I went against it. Touya handed me the first cup labeled 'peach' and I brought it up to her lips. "Ready?" She nodded and I brought the cup to her lips. She sipped tentatively and swallowed. She smiled a little but…

"Hmm…it's good but…it's not right."

"Alright, tea number two!" Touya handed me another labeled 'mango'

I brought it up to her lips and she drank carefully.

"Mmmm…nope."

Okay, how about Apricot!

"I'm sorry but…this isn't it either."

Orange…?

"It's good but no.."

Raspberry has to be it!

"Nope."

Touya scratched his head and frowned. "That's weird. Those are all the ones we have or had before." Kobato frowned and I could imagine those disappointed brownish amber eyes.

"There really isn't anything?"

"You forgot one, Onii-san!" Sakura came out with a glass pitcher. It looked a lot similar to the peach tea, but it was a little darker. She poured a full glass and handed it to me. "This one should do it. I'm sure of it!"

I was a little hesitant, since this time it was a full glass, but I tried either way. I brought the cold tall glass of tea to her lips as she took a sip. A little spilled down the corner of her lip but it was hardly noticeable…to anyone but me. I swallowed thickly at the temptation. A-Anyway…her hands went up to hold up the glass herself as she took deeper gulps. When she pulled away, there was a big smile on her lips and I struggled to make sure she didn't drop the tea all on her dress (Since she was still blind and all).

"That was it!"

"What was it?" I asked Sakura and she poured me a small cup for myself. Usually, I didn't like drinking fruit teas, but I got curious. Besides, I got a little parched since my coffee wasn't here yet. The cool liquid went down my throat and I found myself drinking in greedily. "…what is this?" The taste was…interesting, to say the least.

The green-eyed maid smiled and pointed to many of the small cups on the table. "When we were all little, we used to make our own drinks for fun. Kojiro-kun, being the crazy guy, made this drink out of a lot of the drinks Kobato-chan liked. Since it's a bit 'out there', we never put it on the menu. So it's a little family secret."

Touya smacked his head. "Aw man. I can't believe I forgot about that! The Hanato Hell Tea!"

"'Hell Tea?'" I questioned. How could a name like that be in the same sentence with anything relating to Kobato? And who was this Kojiro?

"Kobato-chan's brother was somewhat on the…experimental side. Add that to him being a smart ass…" Touya chuckled and then began taking the used cups. "Oh, I'll get yours too, Fujimoto. Hold on a sec!"

I've been 'holding on' for quite some time, Touya…

"Thank you, Fujimoto-san!" Kobato beamed and set her tea down. "So…" She trailed off, obviously a little uncomfortable with the following silence. Might as well start then. I opened my bag and pulled out a folder with her paperwork in it.

"Alright, I suppose we should start then. So, according to this will, you were given that house and the surrounding land around it." I raised a brow. "That's a lot for one person to handle."

"Yes, but grandpa loved us all very much! He thought we were all going to live there!" Kobato grinned and tilted her head like she used to all those years ago. Her eyes softened then. "I used to come up here every summer with nii-chan."

"Why don't you anymore?" I asked, curious. Her facial expression went somber for a split second before she smiled again.

"He's still far away. Although I plan on visiting him this week. Too bad I don't have anyone to go with though…" she pouted childishly and fiddled with her napkin. "Grandpa would go with me before."

'You don't have anyone else…?' I wanted to voice out but then went against it. I shouldn't pry so early on. "Well, everything seems to check out in the will. I looked this over last night and found something interesting as well." Kobato blinked in confusion and I fought the urge to scoff. She was still the same. "It says here," I pushed the copy of the will towards the middle of the table as the both of us leaned forward. "If you were unmarried at the time, then a large portion of the money that was going towards your parents would go to you. It even has their signature of approval, so… Well…" I coughed awkwardly. "I suppose you are not married…so."

Kobato blushed momentarily and then smiled at him. "Thank you, Fujimoto-san. I only wish my parents had told me… Or else I would have declined their offer. I don't really need a lot of money!" I chuckled. Hearing this, she began to freak out (As expected). "E-Erm, I mean I-I really, _really_ don't need much! I haven't grown a lot in the past years so my clothes still fit…! A-And I don't really wear make-up or…or…!"

"Fujimoto, are you scaring a valued customer again?" Touya chided playfully as he brought his coffee (_finally_), to the table. I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my iced coffee.

"I think you're deluding yourself, _your Highness_," I retorted half-heartedly, as I took another deep sip.

"Why you…"

"Onii-chan, are you messing with a valued customer again?" Sakura referenced her brother, popping her head out from the doorway of the kitchen. Her brother growled.

"He started it!"

"Real mature, Kinomoto." I couldn't help but rub in more salt. Across from me, Kobato started laughing. I couldn't help but smile a little in response. Four years I had waited. Four years of wanting to wake from a nightmare. Four years of wondering if my time with her was the dream and I was stuck in reality. My thoughts were quite deep for a man of my age, but after seeing everything I had… Well, I'm surprised I didn't put myself into mental institute. I wanted to do this correctly.

"…jimoto-san? Hey…alright?" I blinked out of my thoughts only to see Kobato leaned close to my face, blinking with a concerned expression on my face. I attempted to hide to red in my face from the 'surprise attack' she did on me.

"Ah, sorry. I must have zoned out…"

"It's alright, Fujimoto-san!" she smiled once more. I began to wonder if she was capable of ever being mad… Then again, that day those thugs appeared at the nursery may have counted… I think that was when I began to notice that even though she was a clumsy idiot (In the nicest sense) and innocent to the core (or maybe ignorant is the proper term…), she was strong in her own way.

The two of us enjoyed our drinks. The Kinomoto siblings had even given her a free bag of pastries as a welcoming gift. As we walked out, we settled into a comfortable silence. The scenery and clean air was a good change from what I was used to. A few minutes passed before she started humming that tune again. I listened closely, relishing in the sound of her singing voice again, even if it was only a hum.

"…you really like to sing." I commented without my realizing. She stopped and nodded.

"Yes. Nii-chan used to play the piano when we were kids. That's why there was a big piano at home. That was our favorite room…" she sighed nostalgically. "Papa and mama worked a lot…so it was just the two of us in that house when our parents sent us to grandpa."

"I see… I'm sorry." I murmured. And I just used that piano without thinking! Jeez… She was really close to her grandfather… I wish I could have had memories like that of my childhood. The only thing left was…winter… The night my mother didn't come home…

Kobato shook her head and grinned. "No, it's fine. Grandpa's funeral was just the way he wanted it. He didn't want any of us to cry! Actually, he didn't want any of us wearing black either!" she pursed her lips and furrowed her brows. "'If I catch you all sad at my funeral, I'll be sure to nag you next time I see ya!'" she attempted to impersonate what I deduced was her grandpa and I fought the urge to chuckle and opted for a smile (which I found myself to be doing often). She laughed for me. "So it's alright!"

I didn't really know what she was referring to as 'it' but I nodded anyway.

With the formalities done, I walked her back to her house, not even complaining about the steep hill this time. Anything to make the time go by slower. Unfortunately, we got to her door…

"Thank you for taking me out today, Fujimoto-san!" she bowed gratefully and I nodded.

"It was nothing. I'll get the last of the paperwork done so everything should be officially clear in a week or so." I peered inside the open door and frowned a little. "It's only going to be you living here?"

"Yes," she nodded cheerfully.

"What about your brother?"

"He can't make it. But I'm still planning on meeting him." She nodded to herself. Her eyes wavered for a moment before she motioned inside. "Would you like to come in to rest for a bit? You did walk me back… Do you live nearby?"

"No, I take the train here. I should be fine though."

"Eh! You should rest then! The nearest town or city is almost half an hour away!" she furrowed her brows in worry as she gripped my sleeve. "At least rest a little!"

"I'll live." I shrugged despite her tempting offer. How would I control myself if I went back inside? The hands that were holding onto my sleeve made her feel real—too real.

Despite her appearance…this wasn't the same Kobato as before. She has friends that knew her as a child. She has a family.

A little at a time… That was the mantra I repeated over and over again. My eye unconsciously traveled to my breast pocket, where the konpeito sat patiently, waiting for the next time I would play for it.

"Fujimoto-san…" she trailed off, hesitating in her sentence. I silently gestured for her to continue. "I…will you…?"

"Yeah?"

"Willyougooutwithme?" she blurted out.

…_caw caw…_

I could have sworn I heard a crow up above as we stared at each other in shock after her sudden…outburst…

"…excuse me?"

Her face suddenly flushed a deep red that put a ripe tomato to shame. "Ah! I-I mean…! Wah, I didn't mean that Fujimoto-san! Please don't misunderstand!"

For a moment, I wish I did…

I tried pushing the pink out of my own cheeks and scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "Uh…"

She then looked at me with a determined expression on her face. "Can you go with me to see my brother?"

"…uh…" what can I say? Heck, what will her brother think? He'll probably call the cops on me to see if I manipulated his precious little sister. Maybe he would be the same as her and ignore the fact. Or maybe… My thoughts went back to the café where they described him as a man who loved 'experimenting'…somehow that made me very nervous. "I…"

"I understand if it's a little…strange," she tried fixing her situation and fumbled with her fingertips, a habit she hasn't broken out of (reborn or not). "And I understand if you don't want to come but…"

Once I saw her saddening face, I sighed and hesitantly put my hand on her head. I think I did the action unconsciously, like the time she got excited over Valentines Day. She looked up at me and I nodded.

"So?"

"Huh?" it looks like I caught her off guard.

"When are you going," I continued evenly as I pulled my hand off her head. She looked surprised if anything. That surprised quickly turned to happiness as she smiled wide at me with…relief?

"Thank you! Let's see… I was thinking of going on Wednesday." She put a finger on her bottom lip in thought. "Is that alright with you?"

Luckily, I still had a lot of sick days left…

"Yeah, that's fine." I agreed. "Should I come here again, then?"

"If that's okay…" she began to fiddle with her hands again as I sighed. Old habits die hard… Okay, bad acronym. "Is eight too early for you?"

"No, that's fine." Wednesday…Let's see, today is Sunday, so I have time to put in a request for the day. I'll just have to sleep early that day. And knowing her, I'll probably have to get here earlier… I quickly suppressed the memories of her lateness to Yomogi Nursury and bowed briefly to her. "So, Wednesday at eight it is."

"Thank you, Fujimoto-san!" she waved me off as I made my way down that long, steep hill.

Things are finally looking up.

If so, then why do I feel like I'm missing something?

* * *

A/N: I have no idea how wills work…and I have no time to do research. So I kept it general with no real info. Sorry if I got it wrong! Oh, and by the way. I purposely made Fujimoto really nice in this one. Y'know, smiling and being polite. In the next chappy, we might see a glimpse of his…blunt nature. XD


	4. 03: Live in the Moment

**Y O R O KO B I – K A N A S H I M I**

Summary: What would have happened if Fujimoto never gave Kobato the konpeito back? Would things still be the same?

Chapter Three: Live in the Moment

Since last chapter was uber fluffy, this one is…actually sad…Wahh…

I think I really enjoy typing Fujimoto from his point of view. It's fun! …but I might be making him seem a bit cynical…what do you think? Actually I have to admit, my favorite part is writing Fujimoto imagining himself explaining himself to her brother… You'll see why, XD

Also…I think a lot of people are gonna hate me for this chapter…

* * *

"AHH! FUJIMOTO-SAN!W-W-Water!"

_Crash_

"WAHHH! I'M SO SORRY!"

_Thud_

"Kya—!"

_Trip_

…Remember a long time ago when I could almost predict every time she would trip over air? I think this was one of those times. I just didn't expect one of her clumsy stunts to involve me getting water all over me.

Should I start from the beginning of my day? Nah, let's just rewind to around seven in the morning. "Why seven and not eight like you planned" you might be wondering? If you know Kobato as well as I do, then you know the one other thing she's 'famous' for…

_-07:23:57AM-_

'_I'm early,'_ I think, sighing as I stand at the foot of the hill leading to her house. Considering how I ended up loitering on her front door for god knows how long, maybe it was a good thing. I shoved my hands in my pockets and trudged up the hill. Maybe killing some time mulling over what I would say to her brother would make an hour fly by?

"Hello, I'm Fujimoto Kiyozaku. I'm the lawyer that went over your sisters will."

I could imagine him staring at me skeptically and ask: "…and you're still hanging out with her why? Are you a stalker? A pedophile?"

Okay how about…

"Hey, I'm Fujimoto Kiyokazu. Your sister asked me to come visit with her."

…he'd probably reply: "Sis…are you getting hitched with this guy? Are you okay? Do you have a fever? How much money did he put you up for this?"

Definitely not a good conversation. Maybe if I don't say anything at all?

"…Kobato-chan. Is your friend mute or does he just have a stick shoved way up his a—"

Alright, imagination, you're going waaaaay too far…

_-07:45:00 AM-_

Almost time. Maybe I should go now? It's better to be early. Did she eat breakfast? Come to think of it, before going to the café I never saw her eat. Even those cakes from Triol that I got her… She's all alone at home too. Could she cook? Oh god, would she burn the house down? I sniffed the air, catching no hint of burning food yet and sighed in relief. I got to the top of the hill in no time, so now I just decided to kill time sitting on the top steps of the hill.

Before I was able to even get comfortable, I heard the faint crashing of dishes and a distressed cry from inside. I began to panic. Had someone broken in? Did she hurt herself? She was so clumsy she could trip on air…

I hurriedly put my hand on the doorknob, somehow not surprised to see it unlocked (The idiot needs to know how to lock her door!).

"Hey!"

I ran inside and followed the smell of smoke to the kitchen. At the sound of my blundering inside, she turned quickly with tears in her eyes.

"Fujimoto-san…?"

I ignored her and turned off the stove, grabbing the pot she was cooking…something in, and dumped it into the sink. I ran cold water in the pot. In my haste, I didn't notice that I touched the scalding edge of the pot. She must have noticed my grimace and panicked.

"Ah! You're hurt!"

"It's nothing…" I grumbled. Huh, this reminds me of that time this idiot picked up that cigarette.

"No! We have to cool it! Uhm…water!" She grabbed a glass of water from the counter (Must have been drinking it earlier) and turned to me quickly…too quickly.

Unfortunately the contents of the water managed to fly out from the momentum and splash me.

"AHH! FUJIMOTO-SAN!W-W-Water!"

_Crash_

"WAHHH! I'M SO SORRY!"

_Thud_

"Kya—!"

_Trip_

…sound familiar?

"Are you…feeling well?" I slowly question as I crossed my arms at her, trying to ignore the rather uncomfortable feeling of my clothes sticking to my skin again. Thank god it was only my shirt and not my pants. Now that would have been awkward.

"Err, yes?" she answered nervously.

"So let me ask you something…" I began slowly as I took my glasses off to wipe them. "You don't lock your front door. You don't close your huge window outside. You _still_ can't cook without burning it or making something totally inedible! Are you an idiot?" My voice rose in volume even though I didn't mean for it to happen. She blinked at me and I cursed in my mind. Damn it! I did it again!

Finally, she pouted and furrowed her brows.

"I'm not an idiot!"

…huh?

"I just…forgot to lock the door once…and the window was to air out the place…" Her strong voice suddenly died down to meek and apologetic like before. Then it came back. Was this girl bipolar or something? "And I can cook! I just left the room for a bit!"

I raised a brow. "Let me guess… You were running late, weren't you?"

She stiffened and her cheeks went pink in embarrassment.

"You moron," I put my glasses back on and then crossed my arms over my chest. Quietly I mumbled. "…Sorry for yelling…"

The girl seemed to hear me and beamed. "It's alright, Fujimoto-san! Actually…" she looked down. "I think I prefer the real Fujimoto-san more than the business-like one I've been seeing."

I blinked.

How the hell did she know?

"By the way, what do you mean by 'still can't cook'?" Kobato pouted childishly.

"Err, must have slipped out…" I answered and stared at my wet clothes. "I don't suppose you have a towel I can use…"

"Oh! Yes! Sorry!" and she ran off again. I think I lost count on how many times I've been sighing today.

After a while she managed to get herself presentable and we left the house. Why am I skipping everything else that went on in there? If you want to listen to me rambling on again on how being around her felt oddly nostalgic, then go back a chapter.

Anyway… As the two of us boarded the train, I noticed that she looked a little apprehensive. Her eyes would dart all over the place as if she couldn't find anything to occupy herself with. Her hands would lace together as she fiddled with her thumbs.

"Nervous?" I asked, attempting to break the silence. There were hardly any passengers today anyway. An old man in the back and a middle-aged woman with groceries wouldn't mind if we spoke a bit.

Kobato seemed to snap out of her thoughts and beamed at him. "Hehe… A bit."

"I don't think your brother would want you to be worried meeting him." I said in reply.

"I'm not worried about meeting him!" she pouted again and I looked up to the ceiling of the train car.

"Then again… I doubt he'd want his little sister to be pushing herself to act happy when she's not." I added, not noticing her stiffen ever so slightly. "...Make the most of what time you have with him."

"Fujimoto-san?" Kobato began curiously. "Why do you sound so sad?"

I shook my head and frowned. "Nothing. Forget what I said." I berated myself for the harsh tone I let slip through but I was too frustrated to take it back now. "I just…thought about someone now."

I know it was unfair to think so…but couldn't this idiot understand what I was feeling? I should be happy I got this second chance… But now that I understand the feelings I had back then makes seeing this girl harder. Kohaku said that they share the same souls, but this isn't the same annoying girl that would help Sayaka and carry around that weird plush dog. It isn't the same girl that...

"She must have been amazing, Fujimoto-san." Her statement surprised me and I turned to face her. My brows furrowed in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"That girl you talked about when we first met!" Kobato smiled cheerfully. "I could tell from the way you played the piano that you still like her! I'm sure wherever she is, she must be thinking of you, too, Fujimoto-san!" I chuckled quietly. Maybe she was. Not in the same way though.

The train stopped as Kobato stood up from her seat. "Well, shall we, Fujimoto-san?"

* * *

The town was a mix of things. It wasn't exactly urban but it wasn't rural either (And definitely not suburban). It was slightly more like a city than the place Kobato lived. That's the simplest answer I can give for an explanation.

Kobato walked with that smile in her eyes. Actually…she can walk pretty fast.

"Oi…"

_Walk_

"Can you hear me?"

_Walk_

"Hanato!"

"EH!" Kobato suddenly froze and turned around to see me a few feet away with an annoyed yet surprised look on my face. "Fujimoto-san, what's wrong?

"Mind telling me why you're in such a hurry?"

"Oh! Sorry! I guess I'm so used to walking at that pace here that I forgot you're behind me…oops…" she frowned apologetically as I shook my head.

"It's alright. But why do you walk that fast here? It's like you want to get there and leave at this rate." I said that half-heartedly and she smiled.

"I have to visit someone before going to my brother. Is that okay?" I nodded and this time we walked side by side.

It didn't take too long at that still rather fast pace she walked. We arrived a house (Looked more like a small inn…) that was conveniently across from what looked like a Shinto shrine. My only guess is that either the owners own the shrine too or they are too lazy to make a long trip to make an offering.

Kobato seemed to be excited. She quickly crossed the stone cobbles and went to the entrance of the house. Jeez, at this rate, I'm going to feel like a babysitter or a father looking after my kid…

Okay, scratch the last thought. That's just…ugh…

"Maiko-san! I came to visit!" the girl lightly knocked on the door. Less than a minute and the door opened, revealing a young girl with short black hair and blue eyes. Her attire was that of a shrine maiden, with red hakama and white haori. Side by side, Kobato seemed to look a little out of place in her bright yellow and orange dress.

"I see. You never miss it, do you, Kobato-chan?" the woman smiled gently and then turned to me. "Who is this young gentleman?" Young? I'm almost 26, now how old are you? You look younger than me!

"This is Fujimoto-san! He's the lawyer that helped straighten out grandpa's will!"

Maiko nodded thoughtfully. "I see. How nice of him to come with you to visit your brother. Well, why don't we go inside?" Even as she asked us, she pulled both of us inside her home. In a matter of seconds we were all sitting in her living room. I was on the chair and the two girls were on the couch.

"Kobato-chan, why don't you make us some tea? I would like to talk with Fujimoto-san for a bit alone." Maiko still had that mature smile on her face as Kobato quickly stood up.

"Yes of course!" and she bounced off to the kitchen. I watched her leave in both exasperation and curiosity. How she always managed to have enough energy to stay that perky is something the world will never know. I then became painfully aware of the other female in the room and cleared my throat nervously.

"She's a nice girl, isn't she?" Maiko began casually. I shrugged.

"Nice is an understatement…" I almost groaned in the memory of her trying to 'help' a pervert without knowing what it implied. "But I don't think there's a selfish bone in her." The memories of her working at Yomogi Nursery from the goodness of her heart came to mind. Of course, at first I thought she was out to hurt Sayaka in a way. Even then, she saved that yakuza when something went wrong with his pancreas. That moron must be either an idiot, a fool, or a saint.

…Maybe all three

"That's not true."

…huh?

The woman kept that smile on her face, which was becoming increasingly…disturbing. "In fact, she's one of the most selfish little brats I know." She put her hands to her face, seeming to find her nails interesting. "Everything she does is just a ruse, a mask, if you want. She'll act innocent to get what she wants." My hands balled into fists. How could she say that? Wasn't she her friend? Hell, wasn't she a shrine maiden? "Her brother was the worst sucker of it all. In fact, she had him wrapped around her finger since the day she was born. You think she's 'kind' and 'pure-hearted?' You think you're the most important person in her life?"

"_You're the person I care about the most."_

"Stop it…" I growl in a low voice. She was reading me as if my life was a published drama. My eyes dart over to her shadow through the thin shoji screen doors. She shouldn't have to listen to this… I hoped she didn't.

"Do you think she really trusts you? Tch, she's just using you. In the end, she'll leave you in the dust." Memories of Christmas made me shut my eyes tightly. "She probably didn't want to visit her _dear_ brother alone. I suppose Kobato-chan told you something along the lines of: "He's not nearby" or "I see him every now and then"? How predictable."

_"I always have…"_

Maiko then propped her chin in her hand and leaned towards me smugly. "You think she'll always be around? Following you like a love-sick puppy? How naïve." Seriously…someone shut her up or I will explode. How dare she? "One day, she's with you, and the next she'll pack her bags and leave."

"…_and I always will."_

"Shut up!" I stood up abruptly and gave her the most dangerous glare I could muster. At this point, I didn't care if Kobato heard me. The rage and pain inside of me burst like a pipe, letting lose a torrent of water: uncontrollable and powerful. "She's not like that! She won't…!" I paused, realizing it was too late. The doubt had begun to sink in, just as she planned. "She won't leave…" Maiko smiled knowingly. Damn, she played her cards right… I cursed under my breath again and tried to focus on regaining feeling in my white knuckled fists. I then met her blue eyes with my green ones again. The hatred and animosity was toned down quite a bit, but I swear… Maiden or not, if she spoke badly of her one more time I'll…

"It's done!" Her voice cut through the tension as she came walking in with a tray of tea and snacks. She hesitated, sensing the hostility but had no clue as to why it was there. "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine, Kobato-chan!" Maiko assured her and ushered her to sit back down. Reluctantly, I sat down as well. Meeting her gaze one more time, I saw that damn smile still hadn't left. "Now, you can enjoy some tea before you visit your brother, okay?"

* * *

It was a while before that woman ushered us out. "I already visited this morning, so you go on without me!" She had even given Kobato a bouquet of flowers as a gift. Weird…but whatever. I was more than glad to get away from that crazy b—

"Fujimoto-san?" She snapped me out of my violent thoughts again and regarded me worriedly. "What were you and Maiko-san talking about?"

"Huh?"

"You were yelling at her…" she answered nervously. "Did you two get into an argument? She's not a bad person. She just…"

"Hanato… What's your relationship with her?" I asked, dodging the question a bit. I couldn't tell her, _'Oh, she was badmouthing you! By the way, I took it personally since I fell in love with you in your past life!'_

Urgh…life was complicated…

The brunette gave it some thought. "Um… She dated my brother."

….hell?

"She what…?" I asked again, not believing my ears. That…horrible excuse for a shrine maiden dated your brother? Either he has horrible taste or he's as clueless as his sister.

"The two of them…were in love with each other…" A blush appeared on her cheeks. "Even when Nii-chan had to watch me for the day, she still came over and played with us." Her eyes became half-lidded and her mouth curled into a small smile. The pieces were starting to come together. The way she looked every time her brother was brought up into a conversation. The way her smiles began to become forced as she chatted away cheerfully. The way Maiko predicted her behavior… Could it be?

Without realizing it, we reached our destination and I froze.

A cemetery…

I quickly turned to her in shock. She didn't seem to notice and just continued walking with that damned smile on her face. The same one as that night she… Walking almost robotically, she went around a few gravestones and stopped at one near a dead cherry blossom tree. I followed her and watched as she placed the flowers down on the grave and rummaged through her bag. Already, there was incense and the grave was cleaned (Most likely from its earlier visitor). She placed a large envelope on the grave as well and clasped her hands in front of her. Damn it... Why didn't I notice it sooner?

A part of me wanted to yell at her for hiding this from me like that.

Another part of me wanted to call her an idiot for acting happy and sounding like he was still alive.

But most of all, I wanted hold her tight.

"I'm sorry I lied to you…" she said softly, but she kept staring at the grave. "Kobato hasn't been doing her best…isn't that right?" At this point, I couldn't tell if she was talking to me or to her brother.

"I decided that I'm going to be honest now. If Kobato is sad, then I'll be sad. If Kobato is lonely…then I'll be lonely." She stood back up, keeping an eye on the names on the grave. "Mama, I'm doing well now. Grandpa made sure of that. And Papa… I'm still practicing that song you liked so much. Although I still forget the words!" she giggled a little and I couldn't help but smile a little. "Nii-chan… I miss the times you would play piano for me. I miss the times you'd take me to Hanami and treat me." She wiped away what must have been tears from her eyes and looked up to the sky. I still couldn't see her expression since her back was to me, but I could imagine the determined look in her eyes. "Kobato will do her best! So please continue to watch over me!"

I nodded my head in agreement. "Well said."

She stiffened and then half turned to me in surprise. "Fujimoto-san?" Her face turned a dark shade of pink. "AH! You h-heard?"

"Every word," I smirked and then went so far as to ruffle her hair. "Now did you forget I was here?"

"Erm…sorry?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. Without saying anything, I pulled her back to one side of me, sort of in a half hug. My hand still rested on her head, keeping her in a friendly half embrace (Or as friendly as I could be in this situation).

"Good job. You were finally honest."

"Hey! I was honest before!"

"I think that was just being a moron."

"You're such a meanie!"

Oh yeah. Before I forget…

I turned to the grave and made a resolve.

I might not be the best guy in the world to be by her side. And I might not be able to fill in that void that was left when you left. But I'll try my best to make sure she's happy. No matter what…

"Fujimoto-san? Are you alright?" She asked, curious as to why I didn't let go. In fact, I almost held her closer.

This time, I won't mess up. I swear it.

* * *

So, how was it? Sad, ne? Even in her new life, she had to have some road blocks on the way. And I'm sorry. I didn't know Kojiro would be so popular! After reading reviews, I almost changed his fate...but I went against it. Don't worry though, Kojiro will return! His part in this story is an important one! Hehe. Maiko is too, actually. Didn't expect that, did ya? She knows too much, doesn't she? I wonder why? Hehehe...

Next chapter, familiar characters will appear! Will the plot finally reach its conflict? Perhaps...

Here's some deleted scenes that were originally in the chapter but had to be cut due to lack of flow, time, and brain freeze:

**Deleted Scene 1:**

_What we like more: Scene following Fujimoto's resolve_

"Fujimoto-san?" Kobato frowned and looked down at the floor. "You're...um... Rather close..." I remembered our close position and quickly let go, coughing to regain a bit of lost pride. I had to pull away from the scent of...was it vanilla today? God, I sound like a guy with a scent fetish...

...I don't, alright? Jeez...

"Erm...Well, do you feel a little better?" I asked.

She beamed at me again. This time, I sighed in relief. It was a genuine one time time. "Yes! I'm fine now. I'm sorry you had to see that..."

"No...it's alright..." I said awkwardly. My cheeks became warm as I felt the temptation to voice my thoughts. A quiet mumble escaped me. "Like...you..."

Kobato blinked in confusion and tilted her head rather cutely. "Eh? What did you say?"

...I like the real Kobato more than the completely selfless you...

...

"Nothing...nevermind."

**Deleted Scene 2:**

_Trainbound: Kobato and Fujimoto making their way back. (*Listen to speed graphers music box. That's what she's humming)_

Through the silence of the train ride, the tired idiot decided to hum. It was a different tune this time though. It was slow and sad, but it had a nostalgic feel to it. Perhaps I should learn a few more songs on the piano...

"You know, you can sleep now. The train ride is going to last a while." I said, noticing her eyes drooping.

She suddenly snapped to attention and held her head high. "I'm not tired! I'm completely awake!" Even as she said the words, her body slowly began to relax and she fell back into the seat. "I'm…awake." I sighed and gently pulled her head to rest on my shoulder.

"Idiot. Don't fall asleep while denying it." I mocked quietly. My hand went to move a few of her bangs. She must have really fallen deep asleep, because she seemed to snuggle into me and murmur 'Nii-chan...' I smiled and ruffled her hair again, but gently this time. Is this what it feels like to care for someone this much? "Just…rest so you can enjoy tomorrow."


	5. 04: There and Back Again

**Y O R O KO B I – K A N A S H I M I**

Summary: What would have happened if Fujimoto never gave Kobato the konpeito back? Would things still be the same?

Chapter Four: There and back again

Alright, now I am calm... Sorry new and revisiting readers for the earlier errors with this chapter. Honestly, this is still the unedited original mainly b/c I do the final retouching on the uploaded doc here on fanfiction. So I don't remember what I fixed from the first time I uploaded it. Every now and then I'll look over these chapters to make sure everything is okay so this doesn't happen again.

**Fixed:**

_Chapter replacement (Was once replaced with Chapter 5 instead of 4)_

_Chapter Number in document_

* * *

Ring…ring…ring…

I tapped my finger on my desk as I held the phone to my ear. I can't believe I'm still keeping this up… Then again, I'd be an idiot to quit after seeing _that_. My goals were:

A.) Watch over the idiot

B.) Get back at Maiko

C.) Meet with Kohaku

It felt a little stupid to be making a list like this, but it helped a hell of a lot to organize my thoughts. I had some time now anyway.

"Fujimoto-san!"

I almost fell off the couch at the sound of her voice. It may sound clichéd to you, I know. In those sappy love stories, the character will jump in surprise just by hearing their name spoken by their lover. In reality I assure you it doesn't happen…unless you hear your name practically yelled into your ear all of a sudden. Then it's completely normal.

"Don't scream into the phone, idiot." I said with my usual frown. "Anyway… I'm guessing that you're not doing anything else today?"

She seemed to pause in thought. "No, why?"

"…Get your things ready. There are a few people I want you to meet." I said, trying to act moderately composed. Damn it, I wasn't used to asking people to go out with me… "Erm…if you don't want to then you should tell me now."

"Really? Who? Where are we going?" she asked me excitedly, ignoring my last statement. I allowed a smile. It wasn't like she could see me from the other side of the phone anyway.

"You'll find out. So I'll pick you up, alright?"

"No! It's okay! Why don't you meet me at the station? You always pick me up when we go somewhere so it should be fine!" I felt a little…uncomfortable with her comment but agreed.

"Alright. It's almost nine now. Think you can be at the station by ten thirty?"

"Sure! See you there, Fujimoto-san!" and she hung up the phone. I let out a breath I was holding and set the phone down. I sat there on my couch for a while before groaning and slamming a pillow in my face.

Sissyness: 2

Manliness: 0

* * *

She was surprisingly on time, if not a little early. I must have gotten there at ten when I saw her come off the train about five minutes later. Had the train come early where she lived?

After getting off, she looked around with a lost expression on her face, peering here and there for any familiar sign of me. From my peripheral vision I saw numerous eyes looking at her in either curiosity, hesitation, or…hunger, if you catch my drift. I don't blame them, actually. A girl clad in a white and pink dress and striped beret would definitely catch attention no matter the crowd.

I sighed. Another life and you _still_ leave yourself wide open…

I walked over to her and lightly tapped her with my knuckles on the head. "You're surprisingly early."

She beamed brightly at me. "Yes! This time I managed to keep breakfast from burning! It was so good I ate it all! I just remembered that the train had a different schedule today too, so I rushed!"

"Good. Saves me the trouble of wondering if you got lost or something." I said as an afterthought. How long would I have waited then? Urgh, I have no patience for those things… I remembered she was still there and coughed. "Well, let's go."

"Erm… Fujimoto-san? Where are we going?"

"Well…" Alright…what was I going to do now? I'm not used to making plans with anyone—a girl no less! "…I was planning on showing you around the city, but I hadn't planned on you eating a big breakfast."

"Oh, no! I'm sorry, Fujimoto-san—"

"Don't apologize." I bit my cheek in an attempt to lighten the heaviness of my snappy answer. "Anyway, might as well walk around. Tell me if you want to see anything." How was I supposed to know what girls were interested in anyway? It wasn't like I grew up surrounded by girls (Other than the kids at the nursery and the university, who got _too_ close for comfort sometimes…).

My 'tour', if you could call it that, consisted of me walking aimlessly around the shopping center with her following in tow. I'd hear her gasp and let out the occasional "wow!" at a stall, but she never asked me to stop. Wasn't she a girl? She could browse or at least ask to see something for a while longer.

I stopped abruptly, causing her to bump against my back as expected. "Fujimoto-san?"

"You can stop at a stall y'know. I'll still be close enough so even you can't get lost." I said, allowing the corners of my lips to curve into a smirk.. She simply smiled again and played with her fingers. "Well then…can we stop here?" Kobato pointed to a small shop and I almost twitched at the sight. Of all things, a plushie shop?

'_Calm down, Kiyokazu… She's a girl. It's completely normal for her to have an interest in them. Your hesitation has nothing to do with what happened four years ago… When…stuffed animals…spoke…'_ I inwardly cringed, remembering the times I seriously considered calling the mental health hotline.

"Fujimoto-san! Look! They're so cute!" If I dare say it, I would describe that as a girlish squeal. I nodded slowly, trying to ignore the curious stares of women and children alike. After a few minutes of going to a few shops, I felt my stomach begin to growl. Surely by now she must be hungry…

"There's another place I want to show you. You hungry yet?" I asked, wondering if she could even say no…

"Oh! Yes! Where are we going?" she answered so quickly. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and I momentarily lost my track of mind.

"There's a bakery nearby called Tirol. Someone I knew once said their cakes looked good, so…" I recalled again the day she pretty much broke down at Yomogi but held back the cringe I knew was coming. "You know if you don't want to do something all you have to do is tell me. Don't do something just because I tell you to."

"Oh…" she deflated a little and I sighed. Now what was I doing? Oh, right. My natural horrible attitude was resurfacing. "Okay…"

"…Sorry. Anyway, today's my treat so…" I swear… I've probably apologized to this girl more than I have to any other person. As I began walking, I noticed that she wasn't following. "You coming?"

"Oh! Sorry!" she jumped and quickly followed after me, rushing like she always did when she was late for Yomogi. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her stumbling as I guided us through the streets to the familiar bakery. I never actually stayed inside to eat, let alone even eat from here. The only times I did was to pick up a Christmas cake for the kids or…well, that nursery incident. What must have been going through her mind then for her to have such an expression on her face? Why did she cry?

_"Fujimoto-san…I…I…"_

"…jimoto-san? Fujimoto-san?" Kobato waved her hand in front of my face and I blinked. "You must have a lot of things on your mind if you space out this much, Fujimoto-san!"

I shook my head and then gestured to the place. "Anyway, we're here." We went inside and her eyes immediately flew to the glass cases filled with sweet cakes and pastries. Personally, I never had a liking for sweet things. It's probably from the years of the children from Yomogi sharing their candy with me lest they cry.

"Ah, welcome! What would you like today?" asked Ueda, the storekeeper, as Kobato still stared at the items in wonder.

"Hmm, everything looks good…I don't know what to get!"

A girl with short brown hair came from the back with a tray in hand. Well, this looked familiar… What's with bakeries and brunettes? "Why don't you try the cake sampler? It's rather popular!"

Ah…that brings back memories. I wonder which one she'll end up liking.

"Alright, we'll get that one."

"Eh? Really Fujimoto-san? Is it really okay?"

"I told you, it's my treat. Besides…" No matter how I may see it, Kobato may have thought me as an ass to her 'dear friend'. Of course, in kinder terms… "…Never mind. Anyway, eat up. You better finish it all!"

"Yes! Kobato will do her best!"

"…Oi…You're going to choke at that rate…"

* * *

I took the last sip of my tea and took stock of the situation. Once again, I was surprised at her appetite. Honestly…sampler or not she really liked sweets.

"Wow…that was good! Thank you so much, Fujimoto-san!" she laughed and smiled at me brightly. I had to admit it made my lighter wallet worth it.

"Oh, Kiyokazu-kun! I didn't expect you to be here." A familiar voice from my past entered through the doors and we both turned.

"Chitose-san." I greeted in mild surprise. I half expected those twins of hers to pop out from behind her, but they didn't. Strange… Chiho and Chise shouldn't have school today.

She smiled at me and then turned to Kobato. "Ah, are you one of Kiyokazu-kun's friends?"

"I was showing her around the city for today," I answered, avoiding the question. Kobato felt a little lost for a moment too but bowed her head to Chitose.

"Hello! I'm Hanato Kobato! It's nice to meet you!"

"I'm Mihara Chitose. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Kobato-chan. And it's nice to see you getting along with Kiyokazu-kun, too!"

Okay, things were starting to get on awkward ground…

"Chitose-san, where's Chiho and Chise?" I asked as I paid the bill the waitress brought.

"Oh, They're helping out at the nursery today. Okiura is still getting used to the change, so he's a bit clumsy." The mature woman laughed and then turned to the waitress. "Can I get the usual?"

"Alright! Coming right up!"

"Now, I wouldn't want to ruin your day off, Kiyokazu-kun! It's nice to see you out like this!" That grin… Oh god. That's the same grin both her and Sayaka used to wear when trying to hook me up, saying my 'young good looks' would only work for a few more years. "Would you like to visit? I'm sure she'd enjoy the surprise!"

"Well," I glanced at Kobato. She noticed and nodded.

"I would love to visit!"

"It's settled then. Maybe you can drop this off for me there?" Chitose asked hopefully. I took it without hesitation. She and Sayaka were among the few people I would ever feel truly indebted to. I gathered my things, never noticing the meaningful stare she sent Kobato.

When we left the bakery, she stayed surprisingly quiet. She still looked around, but stayed close. The streets became increasingly familiar and I saw the nursery come into sight. The children were playing outside, so I suppose it must be recess about now. Some of the children noticed me a waved.

"Kiyozaku-sensei!"

I waved back and turned to Kobato, who was for some reason hiding behind me in curiosity.

"What are you doing now?"

"This is…Yomogi Nursery?" she asked me slowly. I frowned. Did she remember something about this place? Well, she did spend a year working with Sayaka and I… This reminds me… I still have to have a talk with Kohaku.

"Fujimoto-kun! You should have called if you were going to visit! I just got off the phone with a very ecstatic Chitose!"

"Sayaka-sensei…" I had to smile. She had gotten a lot livelier since then. I wonder what would have happened if the Kobato back then never came. Well, most likely, Sayaka would remain heartbroken and Yomogi wouldn't be built again.

There was a gratingly familiar chuckle as I twitched in annoyance. "Oh my. It looks like you've gotten yourself a girl."

"Okiura…" I growled in annoyance. We were on better terms now, but he always enjoyed antagonizing me. "She's not my girlfriend if that's what your saying."

He grinned and began to mock me again. "Ah, but did I say 'girlfriend'?"

"You…"

"Ah! I'm Hanato Kobato! It's nice to meet you!" I have no idea if it was coincidence or to stop our bickering, but it wouldn't have made a difference. Many of the kids and Sayaka were used to it (And they won't admit it, but I think they enjoy the 'hilarity' that ensues…as Sayaka puts it.)

"Well, as you heard from him, you can call me Okiura and this is my wife Sayaka. It's always a pleasure to finally meet someone able to put up with that frown on Fujimoto-kun's face. Ne, Kobato-chan?" the former Yakuza smiled and she smiled back.

"So you help out here? That's amazing!" she giggled as some kids came over in curiosity.

"Ne, who are you?"

"Will you play with us?"

"Would you like to, Kobato-chan?" Sayaka asked. The kids got even more excited and began pulling her away to the jungle gym. "Okiura, why don't you join her? Maybe you could learn a thing or two about playing with the kids!"

"Ah, fine, fine. I have to admit, staying in the Yaku—" he stopped himself, catching the glares coming from both Sayaka and myself. "I'm just gonna run now. Bye!"

"He's annoying…" I sighed and Sayaka laughed.

"Yes. But he's changed a lot in four years." She turned to me and put her hand on my shoulder. "So have you. So…that's Kobato-chan?"

"…Yes." I answered after the silence. I remember it clearly, running around the city asking if anyone knew where she went, or if anyone even remembered her.

"You looked happy from what Chitose told me. But…" Sayaka frowned. "Fujimoto-kun. Judging by your behavior, I'm guessing she doesn't remember anything either?"

"It's more complicated than that, but don't worry about it." I replied simply. "Just focus on the here and now and I'll worry about my problems, alright?"

She let out a deep sigh, a sound I heard nearly everyday all those years ago. "I won't say it's okay, but it's your decision. Our doors are open any time alright? And don't let my 'husband' keep you from coming here!"

I chuckled and nodded. Anyway, it was time we left. There was still one more place to visit: Kohaku's.

My eyes went to where I presumed that girl went and I mentally hit myself in the head. How would I go there _with_ the topic in tow?

"Sayaka…" I began, dropping the usual honorific. She tilted her head in curiosity and even more concern. I can only guess that I only called her that when I needed to ask something of her. "Can you…watch her for me? Just for a while? I need to make a stop somewhere but I'll try to be back before the parents pick the kids up."

Sayaka smiled brightly at me and nodded. "Alright. Go tell her first and be on your way." I thanked her and ran over to the former Yakuza member that was most likely teasing the oblivious girl with that damned grin on his face.

"Kobato-chan! Kiyokazu-chan's back to pick on me! Scold him now!" whined Okiura, who now hid behind the confused girl with a mischievous smirk.

"Eh? What?" she asked. I groaned.

I'm gonna kill him one day.

* * *

"Oh, welcome. I haven't seen you here in a long time, Fujimoto-san." The forever-calm blonde greeted me while she was sweeping the yard. Things looked the same with her. Would she ever age?

It's been four years since I've seen her last. And that particular day wasn't exactly one I'd like to recall. It was the time I ran all over town searching for her—or at least a sign. Kokaku ended up being my…guide. For lack of a better term…

"Yes, it's been a while." I began, thinking of ways to begin. Her smile turned into a look of concern and she offered a slender hand. "Would you like to come inside for tea?"

"I wouldn't want to intrude but…" This was an important topic but… There was something about this woman that made me not want to anger her. Come to think of it, she knew quite a lot about the situation…

The smile returned on her face and she urged me inside (Which I couldn't refuse with that look on her face). As she went to the kitchen to make tea, I sat down in contemplation.

Now what was I supposed to do?

How was _she_ even here?

Am I expected to just pretend nothing happened?

"You have a lot of questions, yes?" she spoke up and I only noticed then that she was sitting across from me again. How long? And how did she know? Kohaku cocked her head to the side. "It's the same as four years ago, except this time you're confused with what you have and what you want. Am I right?"

"I honestly…don't know what I'm confused about." I admitted. "Everything is jumbled up. I'm glad I got to meet her again but….what am I supposed to do?" My fingers curled into fists. "I need to know. What happened four years ago?"

Kohaku closed her eyes momentarily and sighed deeply. "I once told you that she had once lost her life due to unfortunate circumstances in a world unlike this one. The repercussions of that incident led to her coming to this town with a task given to her by God."

"How did she come here if she died?" I asked. The dead couldn't be brought back to life, right? Or was there a higher power that could make it possible?

She frowned and her eyes became half-lidded, as if recalling a painful memory. "One of God's angels came down and, despite not knowing her—despite not being deeply involved—stopped that girl's time in exchange for her life."

"Stopped her time…" I repeated. So gods and angels _did_ exist. "If there is a god, why couldn't he just prevent whatever happened? Why couldn't he just bring her back?"

"Although he's God, even he cannot defy the laws. No one can bring someone back to life." Kohaku answered. "Even angels do not live forever. We may live long but we still die. We're simply promised reincarnation."

"…You're an angel, then?" I asked, judging from her speech. Kohaku smiled weakly at me. Now it made sense—the thing she said before about Shuichiro. "Is that how you know all this?"

"…_We've parted in tears so many times…"_

"There are things that humans should and shouldn't know in order for there to be balance in the worlds." Kohaku avoided the question. "And also…to keep both of you safe."

"Safe? From what?" A nervous shiver went down by spine when I took a close look at her gold eyes. Her cryptic use of language was beginning to get to me. "What else is going to happen? You told me she might be reborn, right? What else does she have to go through?" My fist hit the table in anger and I lowered my head. "She's lost everything now… Her parents, her grandfather, and even her brother damn it!" I bit my lip and my voice shook. "What does she have left?"

"She has you, doesn't she?"

My head flew up to look at her in shock. Kohaku merely smiled once more; as if she has been through the same thing I'm experiencing now. Or maybe I'm just reading into it too much…

"She has you, who has retained the memories of her life. Although her presence here was brief, _you_ are what makes her real and alive." Kohaku explained. "When one's existence is erased from the heart and mind, their physical body will disappear too. The feeling of wanting her beside you was what made it possible for her to be reborn by your side. The rest is up to you."

"So is it my fault she's here? My fault she was born into a family that would die long before she did?" I questioned. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"If that's how you truly feel, then tell me this." She spoke in a low, warning tone, which was surprising for the angel I presumed her to be. "Do you regret it? After everything that has transpired between you two, do you regret meeting her again?"

Did I? For four years, my mind was plagued with her smiling face. For four years my eyes would search the crowds for a girl with unnaturally long pinkish brown hair. For four years, every time I walked beneath the falling cherry blossoms, I expected to hear a soft song drift through the spring air.

Now that she was really here…

"No."

I'm an idiot, aren't I?

Kohaku grinned and nodded at my answer. I stood and bowed. "Thank you for everything." I didn't even wait for her to get up because I quickly hurried out of the house, eager to get back to the nursery to pick up the other idiot.

Back with the angel, she sighed in relief and turned towards the window. "So, are you content with what you heard?"

A small blue dog jumped through. His red spiked collar hung loosely around his neck. Crossing his arms, the stuffed animal huffed. "Well, I can't say I'm fully satisfied but it'll have to do."

* * *

When I finally arrived at the nursery, I found her standing by the gates with a broom in hand. She looked a little troubled… Well, that or completely focused with the ground. Even when I slowed my run to a walk up to her she didn't notice me until I rapped my knuckle on her forehead.

"Ah! Fujimoto-san!" She looked…different somehow. I wonder if anything happened while I was gone?

"Now who's the one spacing out?" I commented and grabbed the broom from her. "Someone's gonna kidnap you one day, y'know. Why were you out here anyway?"

"Oh, I wanted to help out! Okiura and Sayaka are cleaning up!" She said but noticing my raised brow she quickly added, "Oh, but she said as soon as you got here I could go!"

I set the broom against the fence, knowing Sayaka would know we left and that nothing happened to her or anything. "Well, it's getting late. All the kids must have gone home now. I'll drop you off, alright?" I turned my back to her and began walking out when I paused. I heard her footsteps falter as well as she let out a small confused sound. "Sorry for leaving you here…"

I can only guess that she was smiling now. Imagine my surprise when I felt her small hands grasp mine. I turned to her, shock not so hidden in my face. In a soft voice, she spoke. "Fujimoto-san. You've already done so much for me. You don't have to be sorry." Kobato's hands were warm, just like before. "Nothing is your fault."

Without thinking of the consequences I tugged on her hands, thus pulling her into my chest. It didn't take much effort since she was so light (and being a ditz could contribute). My arms wrapped around her, tight enough to feel her against me yet light enough to allow her to pull away. "F-Fujimoto-san!" When I didn't say anything I felt her grab hold of the back of my jacket. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"You happened…" I quietly murmured, and for the first time allowed her to see the weaker side of me. "Damn it… I can't think straight with you around…" I felt her tense up and she pushed me away slightly—far enough to see my face but still allowed my arms to hand loosely around her.

"Is that true?" she asked hesitantly. Crap… That pained look in her eyes was back. Did she interpret me wrong? Hell, I didn't even intend to say anything in that hug, let alone initiate one! Kobato stepped away from me with her hand on her chest. "While you were gone, I was talking with Sayaka-sensei and Okiura-san… I've been meaning to ask you, Fujimoto-san. Why are you so kind to me?"

I was left speechless. Why? Well, how am I supposed to answer her question?

A) Answer honestly: "I think I love you, even though you don't remember me. Hell, I don't even know how it started but I want to do things right this time."

B) Lie outright: "If I leave you alone, who knows what trouble you'll get yourself into." (Although that's partly true…)

C) Don't answer at all and hope to the gods most high she doesn't get upset.

Kobato must have taken my mental debating as choice C and grinned sheepishly. "Fujimoto-san. If you're being kind and taking me out every now and then because of my situation, then please don't continue." She walked past me and, without turning around, added on to her lines. Ironically enough, they almost mirrored me four years ago. "If you're with me out of self pity or self sacrifice, then don't come see me again." When I finally turned around, she was a few feet away with me with a sad smile. "You'll only hurt me more." And she ran.

Sissyness: 3

Manliness: -5

* * *

Once more... **Review please**?


	6. 05: Psycho Maiko

**Y O R O KO B I – K A N A S H I M I**

Summary: What would have happened if Fujimoto never gave Kobato the konpeito back? Would things still be the same?

Chapter Five: Psycho Maiko

I gotta admit…I really like this title, XD

Unfortunately I don't like this chapter at all. It's a definite filler. But it is indeed needed. Next chapter I might have some of the CLAMP characters you guys reviewed about. I saw a few but couldn't find one that suited this chapter right…

* * *

I know what you're probably thinking. Fujimoto, what the hell are you going to do to fix…whatever happened. One thing you should know about me: it's how leap before I look. If that's what got me to lose her, then I'm not going to do it this time. If that means acting like a headless chicken for a few more days, then so be it.

"Fujimoto-kun! Takeda-san is on the line. He wants to speak with you about the case!" called a female voice from the adjacent room.

"Coming!" I replied and picked up the phone on my desk. Where was I? Well, you didn't think that just because I met her again I would quit my job and try to get with her, did you? That's plain stupid. Who does that?

Ah, well this case wasn't tough now that my head is relatively clear.

"Fujimoto-kun!" A brunette poked her head through the door and then disappeared.

God, Haruka just loved to call my name today, didn't she? Oh. Haruka is my secretary of sorts. Not important information though.

"You have a visitor. You can go on break now, actually." She called through the walls.

A visitor?

"Come in." I said, not looking up from the paperwork I was quickly putting away. I heard the quiet creak of the wooden floorboards and saw the shadow of someone looming over my desk.

"Long time no see."

…oh hell no…

My eyes narrowed and I looked up to take a glance at my 'visitor' (More like annoyance). Blue eyes that were definitely out of the norm for Japanese met with my green ones and short black hair skimmed bare shoulders. For once, she was wearing 'normal' clothes: a white sundress adorned with red ribbons.

"You again?" I asked in irritation and sighed.

"Hey, although I have a tendency to speak my mind, I'm a shrine maiden. Show some respect." She raised a brow with that smile on her face again. Her speech surprised me since she used a rougher tone now. Was it Osaka-dialect? Maiko leaned back and crossed her arms. She sure didn't look like a maiden to me… "I need to ask you to do something for me."

"I'm not interested in anything you want me to do." I answered curtly, refusing to look at her and pretended to preoccupy myself with a document I memorized an hour ago. If she expected me to do whatever she asked just because she knows I care for her, then she had another thing c—

"She left you, didn't she?"

I froze and held my breath.

I supposed she had a grin on her face now because she began to laugh. "I told you didn't I? How did she do it this time? Did she make an excuse? Did she give a sob story?"

"Are you only here to antagonize me or are you beating around the bush? I could easily call security on you."

"Fine. I'm only going to ask you more one thing, then." Maiko added, her voice growing serious. Her hand suddenly grabbed my chin and forced me to face her. I let out a surprised grunt. She was stronger than I thought! Her blue eyes narrowed. "Why do you care so much about her?"

My hand gripped her wrist in an attempt to make her let go, but to no avail. "That's none of your business."

She once again laughed at my threat (How many times is she going to do that?). Her fingers let go of my chin and slowly curled around my tie. Maiko tugged hard, causing me to jerk towards her.

"You're quite interesting, _boy_." Her whisper made my lips tingle against their will.

Something felt unfamiliar now—like a soft pressure on my mouth. A breath ghosting near by nose…

_Fucking shit…_

"What the hell are you doing?" I shouted and shoved her away. The back of my hand quickly wiped away as much as I could.

Maiko simply smirked and licked her lips much to my disgust. "So that's why… Interesting." I may have been seeing things, but I could have sworn I saw her eyes flicker red for a moment… Yeah, if they did that would be way too clichéd. Definitely. That stuff only happened in manga or anime. "There's something you want, right? Something you want to get back?"

What's with everyone I meet now that says something like that? Is there a sign on my head that says 'Help wanted'?

"Go to the shop where dreams are granted…for a price. Perhaps you can drop this off for me, too? I haven't seen the shopkeeper in a while." Maiko took advantage of my shock and left, but not before leaving behind a letter sealed with a red wax seal. I picked it up, studying the slanted handwriting that read: Yuuko. Who the heck was that?

I sighed and put the letter away. Might as well think about it after work.

"Fujimoto-kun! Takeba is on the line again!" Haruka pulled me out of my reverie and I shook it off. I became aware of my growing headache once more and called back to her. Dealing with Kobato would just have to wait.

A few boring hours later, I found myself walking aimlessly around town. I pulled the choking tie loose from my neck and rubbed my sore shoulders. Strange…I don't usually feel this tired after work…

"I need a vacation…" I groaned and began to look around for a bench to sit on. My eyes stopped on a peculiar building that I didn't remember being there before. An old wooden fence was raised high and the arcing entrance sported a moon-theme, as did the rest of the house. Its sudden appearance clashed with my memory of the empty yard I thought it to be… "What…is going on?"

Two small figures came out of the house and noticed me. Their eyes looked…strange to say the least. Their expressions obviously showed me happiness and curiosity, but their eyes were empty and lacked the light I'm used to. The orange-red hues of the setting sun were not reflected in their blue and red irises. One of them had short, pink hair while the other had long bluish hair tied in pigtails.

"A customer!" the pinkette cried out in delight. The other one giggled and ushered me over. Something drew me in through the gates (As clichéd as that sounds) and they took my hands in theirs as soon as I crossed over. The girls pulled me inside the building as I hurriedly removed my shoes.

"Watanuki! He's here!" the blue haired girl called out as a door slid open to reveal a rather tall thin figure dressed in loose robes. His hair was jet black and his mismatched eyes studied me with calculated ease.

"I see. I was expecting you. Please, this way. Maru. Moro. Get the plum sake and the snacks—not the special ones though!" the tall man whom I assumed to be Watanuki spoke with an almost graceful yet mischievous tone. He gestured to me as he turned back towards the room he was in and I followed uneasily.

Why was I doing this? I haven't the slightest clue…

There was a round table in front of a large display of pillows and rugs that played their role as his throne of sorts as he elegantly plopped down into the lush pillows. The smell of incense and a faint smell of tobacco permeated the air. He took a long red pipe and blew before regarding me once more. I stood uneasily. The man simply smiled and gestured me to sit, which I attempted to decline and leave. However, the door closed and I gave up.

"So… I assume you have questions?"

"Well, knowing the reason why I was dragged in here would be nice." I replied dryly. I finally had gotten hold of my emotions and put up my walls. The problems I had weakened me a bit, but there was no way I would forever tear my defenses down.

The man smiled at my tone and put his pipe down. "This is a shop that grants each customer a wish on two conditions: if I can meet that wish and if you can pay the price. The fact that you can even see this shop proves that you do indeed have a request for me." He leaned forward, a serious expression adorning his pale features. "This isn't a lie, I assure you. There are no tricks or anyone to tell you you're a fool here."

I paused. Maiko's words rung through my head. Find the shop where dreams are granted for a price? So she wasn't on anything or skipped medication? I was about to call his bluff when I saw the look in his eyes hidden behind thin glass. It was the same serious look Kohaku had on that night. I took a breath and nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll believe you for now. And about my wish…" What was I going to wish for? This wasn't like some Arabian night story, nor some creepy well where I threw money in and hoped for the best. This was real. "I…don't know it."

"I've had customers in the past who have asked me for many things." The man began, catching my attention. "I've had ones where they ask for a physical object like money. I've had people ask for spiritual guidance. Heh, and if you really want to hear this, I've had those who ask me to force someone to fall in love with them. In my short time as the new owner of this shop, I have seen them all. Your case I know in particular…" His eyes wandered to my jacket pocket. "I assume you have something for me?"

I remembered that letter that Maiko gave me and I took it out. It wasn't crumpled in the slightest, much to my surprise. I slid it over the table and he took it with long slender fingers. "You can't be…Yuuko by any chance?" I clearly remember those kids calling him Watanuki…

The man hesitated and a pained smile curved onto his lips. "No… That's the name of the previous shop owner. I am here in her place." He put a hand over the wax seal. The air felt heavy for a moment before he opened the envelope and pulled out the latter enclosed. His eyes glided over the side I couldn't see and he nodded. "I see. I suppose this is acceptable." He placed the letter in his loose robe and somehow pulled a small box out from his sleeve. "Do you know about tarot reading?"

I quirked a brow. Wasn't it some parlor trick to get easy money off love struck girls or desperate guys? He saw my expression and chuckled.

"Tarot was said to have begun in Europe around the 15th century. Then again there are other theories that it started in other lands such as Egypt and China. Regardless, it's used for divinations and other practices." The man spread the cards out. "Although it's unorthodox, we'll use only the major arcana for you. I mean, if I went through the minor as well, you'd get even more confused, right?" The man gave me a mischievous smile and I nodded unsurely. What was with me today?

The man gathered what I figured was the major arcana and motioned for me to chose after placing them face down. Well, might as well… My hand paused over my initial card and then hovered over another. Curiously I pulled the card and turned it over. The image of a smiling devil looming over a chained couple made me frown.

"Don't make that face. It's not that bad you know." The man gathered the cards once more and handed them to me. "I just needed to know what spread to use. Now shuffle the cards. As you do so, think about everything that has happened to you so far." Skeptically I did as told. What happened? Too much happened… The girl shows up literally out of nowhere and decides to do selfless acts. She'll try to help others but won't ask for help herself. She's stubborn, ditzy and hopeless when it comes to cooking. No matter how dangerous the situation, she'll go in to help…

That's right…that one time when she met with Okiura alone…[1]

* * *

_The park. I had to get there fast. Okiura that bastard... If anything happened to her I'd…_

"…_if I somehow weren't there, he'd certainly forget about me immediately." I heard a familiar voice through the park and followed it desperately. "Fujimoto-san…doesn't like me…"_

"_DUMBASS!" I shouted before thinking as I recognized her. Quickly I shielded her from whatever Okiura could do and had done before I got there. I ignored her call my name and glared at him protectively. The Yakuza smiled._

"_It looks like he's come to pick you up. Let's leave it here for today, Kobato-chan."_

"_Our conversation isn't over yet…!" she gasped but Okiura spoke again._

"_Tomorrow, I'll go to Yomogi… And it will be the last time. Tell Sayaka that." There was a mysterious gleam in his eye but I was too angry to take notice. As he walked away I turned around and took a sharp breath._

"_Why did you do that?"_

_She over exaggerated my rage by shielding herself with her arms and then smiled nervously. "Since you're busy with Yomogi and your jobs I thought I'd go speak with Okiura-san…"_

"_And you're wrong about that too!" I placed my hands on my hips._

"_Eh?"_

"_Why did you say that I don't like you?" I asked in a frustrated tone. Why was I so bothered with it? It's not like I even asked her to like me. Hell, I act like I don't want her to…but… Hearing it from her lips…_

_It hurt._

"_Because, there weren't any signs… That you liked me." She answered with that same nervous smile as she began to play with her fingertips._

"…_what did you say?" I began slowly, more from shock._

"_From the first time we met until now, I know I've only been a burden." She twiddled her fingers even more. "I also made you angry a lot, Fujimoto-san."_

"_I'm not angry!"_

_Her eyes opened wide for a moment. Probably at my contradictory outburst. She then looked down and frowned. "I-I'm sorry…"_

_Without my body's consent, my hands reached for her and dragged her into me. "That's not it…!"_

* * *

"Have you finished?" The man's voice pulled me out of the flashback and I nodded. I guess while thinking I had been shuffling nonstop (Seeing as how my fingers felt like they slipped through the cards a lot…). "Now place the first card in the center. This will represent the problem you're facing."

The first card ended being something called the Chariot.

"This signifies that you're self reliant and you're the one that gives orders. However, if any part of that chariot is missing—the driver, the horse or even the wheel—nothing can go into motion." The man seemed to nod to himself. "Now, put the next card on the bottom left of it."

The card revealed was a reversed sun. I swallowed. I vaguely remember that reversed cards were usually bad…

"This card represents why you constantly bind yourself to your problem. The reversed sun shows that something in the past is causing you to change now. It could be a memory or a fear."

Oh how true that was…kinda.

The next card had to go to the bottom right. Apparently this was supposed to tell me what my problems are doing to me. A tower appeared from my hand. Its pinnacle came crashing down as lightning struck it. That seemed ominous enough even without an explanation.

"The tower shows that something of yours will crash down or disappear. It can range from false insecurities to those mental walls that everyone puts up." The man seemed to stress that last part as I grunted quietly. Now he's just being nosy… "However…the truth doesn't fall as easily as a lie. Remember that. Alright, two more cards. You can just place them at the same time here and there."

The fourth card, which was at the top of the triangle we had now, was supposed to tell me a simplified perspective on my reading and the fifth (Which was placed on top of the middle card), was supposed to tell me how to solve my problem. The top one I wasn't so worried about… But when a reversed skull appeared as my final card I froze.

" Reversed judgment and death… A fitting combination, don't you think?" the man smiled. "Your fourth card says that you lost an opportunity in the past… That's as simple as I can put it for you. As for the reversed death card… This one is open to interpretation. A reversed death is for those who are afraid of change. It also serves as a reminder for painful memories."

"So what. Am I just supposed to wallow in my grief? What the hell is with that?" I said irately. What was I hoping for coming to this place? I stood abruptly and turned towards the door. "I'm leaving."

"You're not even going to ask about Kobato-chan?"

I tensed and turned my head. "How do you know about her?"

He smiled sheepishly and ruffled his black hair. "She came to the shop four years ago, asking to help out. Unfortunately she near stumbled everywhere she went."

"That sounds just about right," I agreed but shook my head. "Anyway if I don't know my own wish then I'll take things as I go."

"If you change your mind, the shop will be here!" he said but I hesitated one more time.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"Is it possible for her to…y'know. Ever remember?"

"…if you keep believing it is possible, then it just may be." He answered and then gave me a wave. "By the way, you should really take a rest. You seem to be getting a little under the weather."

I am? Well, I do feel tired… Maybe I should call in sick tomorrow… Looks like my wish will just have to wait.

* * *

That entire tarot reading...I actually did the reading myself. I searched up spreads that only used the major arcana and found the Devil's Spread. Then I shuffled and whatnot but thought thoroughly about Fujimoto's situation. On my first try I got the cards I explained in the story. I was shocked that it really did fit his situation...

**[1]** This scene happened in the manga. In the anime, Fujimoto wasn't there. I think the manga version is way better. Too bad I only have up to drop 23. please CLAMP! FINISH IT!

And sorry if I made Watanuki ooc. I'm so out of the loop with xxxHolic. I stopped reading it a while ago so I had to skim through recent chapters.

But yes, like I said I hate this chapter. So to make up for it, next chapter will once again have our bubbly heroine, humor and some nice fluff action! Once again, i'm sorry for the delay. -bows-

-Mana

**REVIEW PLEASE! I didn't stop writing b/c of your reviews!**


	7. 06: Moment of Contact

**Y O R O K O B I – K A N A S H I M I**

Summary: What would have happened if Fujimoto never gave Kobato the konpeito back? Would things still be the same?

Chapter Six: Moment of Contact

Listening to: Paper Plane (Kagamine Rin)

Uwah! This one is longer compared the the other ones! Sorry for the wait. Anyways, I'm taking off the sneak peak from the previous chapter so new readers stay surprised, XD

**Review pwease?**

* * *

Well this was just perfect. This was just mother of all things good perfect… What was so damn perfect you ask?

It definitely isn't my view from my futon, I assure you. Watching a bare wall for three hours quickly loses its charm.

A cough burned its way through my throat as I covered my mouth with the crook of my elbow. I rarely got sick, but when I did it was hell. Where are my glasses? I thought I put them next to my futon. I can't even find them now… Damn. At least I called in sick last night. Saves me the trouble of getting to the phone and dealing with Haruka's hyper voice in the morning.

The phone however decided to play with me as it rang, annoying the hell out of my ears. I had half a mind to just let it ring but instead I groaned and kicked the covers off. As soon as I got out of bed my vision swam, but I managed to get to the phone on time.

"Hello?"

"Fujimoto-kun! Are you alright? Haruka-san said you called in sick. You looked fine when I last saw you, though…" Sounded like Sayaka. Wow, even with my job she still kept tabs on me huh…

"Yeah. I'm fine though. Just a little rest and I'll be back to work, alright?" I answered, trying to sound less tired than I actually was.

Her tone didn't seem to agree with me. "Did you take your temperature yet?"

"I just woke up…" I lied. If I told her I was stuck in bed for three and a half hours she'd probably call an ambulance.

"It's almost noon though! You never sleep this late… Maybe I should come over—"

"No, you can't!" I quickly cut her off but regretted it. I went for a softer voice next. "You need to be at Yomogi today. I'll be fine by myself—promise."

"…alright Fujimoto-kun. If anything happens don't hesitate to call! Doumoto-kun said he'll drop off some medicine tomorrow so try to survive until then!"

"Got it… Bye." As soon as I hung up the phone, I leaned against the wall and slid down. Standing seemed too much for me. What the heck—I've never been this tired before. I haven't even been working that much lately. And compared to how much I worked four years ago…

_"Fujimoto-san… You need to get up."_

"What are you doing here…?" I mumbled as I closed my eyes and listened to the ever-so comforting voice that aided me in a pinch.

_"You'll get even worse if you lie down on the floor like that!"_ her voice was firm yet full of worry. Would the Hanato of the present worry about me the same way as the Kobato of the past? Probably not after what happened. I still don't know why she acted like that though…

My eyes turned towards the ceiling and I smiled wryly. I guess I'll never know. Is this retribution? Is God punishing me? Wow…this fever is making me think about God. Tch.

Maybe a short nap will give me a bit more energy…

_"But Fujimoto-san!"_

"Just this once…annoying girl…"

* * *

She was running—no, more like stumbling towards me. It was a comical and nostalgic site for me. Instead of the smile that wanted to break out I opted for a frown and quirked brow.

"You're late again."

She stopped in front of me to catch her breath. Her blue beret was slipping a bit but was far from falling. Her matching summer dress was also in disarray. "I'm so—"

"Hurry up. I almost finished with the yard."

"But—"

I looked at my watch. The smirk was going to break out soon so I had to get her inside the school fast. "30 seconds!"

She quickly began a brisk walk towards the entrance past me. "Wahh, Fujimoto-san!"

"25 seconds!"

"…" The sound of footsteps stopped and I furrowed my brow in confusion.

"What's wrong?" When I turned around towards her the protective fence as well as the school itself disappeared. In its place, the structure of the land was identical to that of that park. She was now standing atop the tall structure like before. Her back was facing me and her hands were idly hanging by her sides.

"Fujimoto-san… Are you mad at me?" her voice seemed passive—maybe even a bit curious.

"…A bit frustrated but no…" I answered truthfully.

Her head tilted down. "Frustrated?" she repeated. "Why?"

I scratched the back of my head. If this was a fever dream then it was quite a strange one. Normally, she's the one talking to me and I'm just listening. We've never had a real conversation.

"I… I'm running away from the things I really want to know." I admitted. "Why didn't you tell me? No, more than that…why did you leave? I thought…" A pause. "I'm supposed to be important to you, right? If that's true then why?" I know I wasn't the best guy and I probably deserved it. Never mind…I definitely deserved it. But still.

She was silent for a good while before she took a deep breath. The girl turned to face me and I refrained from stepping towards her. It was _her_. Those were the eyes that knew me. They weren't the eyes used for staring at a total stranger like the other girl. She stepped down from the platform and walked towards me. What only took a minute felt like an eternity for me (As clichéd as that sounds. But this is _my_ dream so deal with it.) She placed her hand on my chest exactly where the konpeito had come from four years ago.

"I'm so sorry Fujimoto-san…" she whispered as she stared at the spot with a mixed expression. I wanted to take her hand but feared that if I did this dream would end just as it did whenever I tried. She then made an attempt at the gentle smile she always used. But that was the most agonizing part: it was an _attempt_. "But you know… Just because I said 'goodbye', doesn't mean it's the end. You're still here, aren't you?"

"Eh?"

"My story may have ended…but yours hasn't."

My story…? What does that mean?

Her fingers then weakly grabbed the fabric of my shirt and her other hand crossed her own heart. The gentle face I was used to was replaced with one of discomfort. "Time's up…" she locked eyes with mine and I frowned. I became aware of a sudden coolness but ignored it. "No matter what you choose to do…I want you to be happy, Fujimoto-san."

"Wait, what do you mean 'time's up'? You don't mean…" This time without hesitation I grabbed her wrist and a pained looked crossed my features. "Not again. I swear…if you keep doing this to me I'll go insane." I didn't say this out of desperation—it was the truth. Did this mean I wouldn't hear her voice again? Would I forget about her like everyone else had? Why? Was it because Hanato was here instead?

The girl looked at me in surprise. I couldn't tell if it was because of my words or the lasting contact. Normally I'd wake up by now. Had she known this as well? As I thought this, her form began to fade in and out as did the rest of the scenery, signaling the dream's end. It was a strange feeling—the way I was still holding her wrist but I could feel her slipping away. It was eerily similar to the way I held her before she disappeared with the cherry blossoms. As she faded in and out, she smiled at me sadly like before. _Let go_, her eyes seemed to tell me.

"She's not you…" I murmured, my voice heavy with emotion, and tightened my grip on her.

The girl's eyes once more widened in shock and momentarily I felt her form stabilize. A lone tear formed and ran down her flushed cheeks. I let go of her wrist and caught the droplet with my index finger. Once I did she vanished, leaving only her glistening tear behind. I stared at it for the longest time as the landscape faded to black.

* * *

My eyes opened to see the ceiling of my room. Strange…didn't I sleep sitting? Why was I in my bed? My ears picked up the sounds of the sink being used and I raised a brow. I'm pretty sure I double lock my door too. So unless a burglar decided to break in, somehow drag me to bed without waking me, and kindly do my dishes… Never mind, I'm going to stop that train of thought right there.

I groaned softly and sat up only to feel a wet cloth fall over my eyes.

"So this must be why I felt cool all of a sudden…" I mumbled and put I to the side. When I did, I found my glasses. "So _now_ you decide to show up?" I had thought about getting contacts but sticking those in your eyes sounds both unhygienic and a hassle in the morning. It's not that I practice bad hygiene but putting my finger to my eye doesn't sound appealing to me.

I studied my shirt to find it slightly damp with sweat. So it really was a fever dream… My eyes darted to the door and I shrugged. It was probably Sayaka and she always knocks before entering anyway. By the look of things outside, school should be over. The sun was almost gone over the horizon. I managed to get to my drawer and grabbed a few clothes. A shower would definitely be great about now. I took my sticky shirt off and stood with shaky legs. Damn…how sick was I?

The door suddenly opened and the tall dark-haired woman I expected was replaced with a shorter girl whose long hair just couldn't decide whether it wanted to be considered pink or brown.

"Uh…" I said oh-so-very-intelligently. She simply stared at me with large eyes unblinkingly. I also noticed that she had dropped a towel upon opening the door.

We simply stared at each other until I began counting down in my head. Three…two…one—

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Owww…my ears…

She quickly ran out and slammed the door shut. After recovering from her outburst I massaged my temples.

"I'm sorry! I'm so very, _very_ sorry!"

"Hanato…"

"I-I didn't see anything, honest! Err, well actually—noIdidn'tseeanything!"

"Oi…"

"ButwhenIheardyou weresickIwanted to seeifyouwerealrightand—" She stopped to take a breath and through her silence she noticed a new sound. Perhaps water running? Well, I still had to take a shower. I figured by the time she noticed I was gone her rambling would be over. No use wasting energy trying to stop her. Tch, still stubborn to the core.

Once I was freshened up and in a new change of clothes, I knocked on my own door to check if she was still leaning against it. "Oi, Hanato."

"Y-Yes…?"

"Mind if I ask you why you're in my apartment?" No use questioning how she got in. Knowing Sayaka, she probably told her where my spare was. When there wasn't an answer I rested my head against the door and sighed. "Hanato."

"…I wanted to apologize…" she said quietly and I raised a brow. She must have guessed my confusion and nervously continued. "For my behavior at Yomogi…"

Half of me wanted to say, "Do you really think that's going to cut it?" considering my declining mental state of mind added to work. The other half (Which unfortunately dominated) simply decided to turn the knob of the door and looked down at the girl who was crouching on the floor. I gave her my normal disinterested look and then pat her head.

"Fujimoto-san…?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Eh?"

I drew back my hand and scratched the back of my still somewhat damp hair. Even though it was damp though, I put a quick tie around the long part. Don't even ask why I never cut it because even I can't answer that. "I asked: are you hungry." Even though we weren't staring at each other, I could feel her eyes staring at me before her stomach growled loudly between us. She blushed seven shades of red and got up quickly.

"I-I'll cook then—"

"Your help is rejected." I interrupted her and lightly flicked her forehead. Feeling a little mischievous I allowed myself to smirk smugly. "I rather prefer my kitchen in one piece."

Her pout was priceless.

* * *

Now, I'm not one for cooking extravagant meals. This isn't a cooking anime, so you won't see knife skills rivaling a samurai or egg cracking with one hand (Although I can sometimes manage to do it with minimal egg shell residue). Because of this fact, I didn't exactly have many ingredients to work with (Also due to my lack of grocery shopping as of late). So on my way to the kitchen, all I found was ingredients for miso soup and rice.

"Hanato, just wait in the living room, alright? You can turn the tv on if you want." I called. "This shouldn't take too long."

"Okay!"

As I cooked the miso I found a bottle of lychee juice in the fridge. The memory of Chitose giving me some because her daughters bought too much came to mind. Might as well try it…although it might taste strange coupled with rice and miso. Then again this was the girl who could eat almost anything at Triol and who also created that Hanato Hell tea with that crazy brother of hers…

Once I set the table, I called her in and heard the sound of the TV being switched off. When she came in, I noticed that not only was her hat gone, but her hair was up as well. And by "up", I mean in a ponytail. I stopped and stared for a few seconds before shaking it off and poured her a glass of juice.

"Sorry. All I have is rice and miso right now. I ran out of tea, too." I mumbled, somewhat embarrassed at my lack of household necessities.

She merely shook her head and grinned. "No, it's alright! Actually I should still apologize again for not bringing anything even though I was planning on making sure you were alright…"

"Consider it forgiven." I answered and hesitantly began to ruffle the top of her head. It had started to become an action that I felt like doing every time I met her now. She shut her eyes in mock discomfort from what I could tell. "Just call in advance next time, will you?"

"Okay…" she answered quietly and we sat down to eat our meal. Seeing her satisfied expression on her face after finishing made me wonder if she was just forcing it. Even if it was her, there's no way she could be that happy about miso soup and rice. She had even washed the dishes as a way of repaying the favor (despite all my protests as well…damn, I really am going soft.)

"Are you sure you're fine with just this? You usually eat a ton…" I admitted and she puffed her reddening cheeks.

"I don't eat _that_ much!" she protested and then looked down at her empty bowls. "It's just…"

"'Just'?"

A smile took over her once more. "Food tastes a lot better with good company, don't you think?" I froze. So…she didn't think I was always angry at her this time, right? I'm doing the right thing, right?

"Yeah. Guess you're right." I inserted a reply. "…Honestly I've never cooked for someone else like this except for one time four years ago." I chuckled quietly at the memory of her attempting to cook but at the same time my chest ached at the image of her crying face as she clung to my sleeve. She studied me for a moment.

"Was it for her?"

"Huh?"

Her brown eyes softened. "That person most important to you. You always get that look in your eyes when you think about her." She reached out from across the table and placed her hand on top of mine. "You really do love her, huh…"

Do I still love her? By the gods yes. Judging by the way I feel every day, I don't think I'll stop loving her.

She stared at me with large expectant eyes and I nodded. This would be the first time I admitted it to someone else, albeit without words. I felt her fingers twitch but pushed it back to my mind as my imagination.

"Fujimoto-san, you're really kind." The girl withdrew her hand and rested her chin on top of her now laced fingers. "Actually… You kind of remind me of my brother."

A sharp pain shot through my chest and I fought to keep my expression neutral. I raised a brow skeptically to do so. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

She laughed. "It's a good thing, Fujimoto-san!" Her expression changed into something I couldn't identify now. "…Would you believe me if I said I never liked Maiko-san until now?"

"…what?"

Wow…that was a shock.

The smile remained but it was weaker and her eyes were downcast. Her bangs also served to hide them. "It used to just be nii-chan and I before she came into the picture."

"Hanato?" I began slowly, noticing her widening smile that held more regret than happiness as well as…jealousy?

"_In fact, she's one of the most selfish little brats I know."_ Maiko's words echoed unintentionally in my mind and I willed them to stop.

"I found myself clinging to him even more whenever she was with us. I'd whine about the smallest of things and cried whenever he left my sight. Despite that, she was still nice to both of us. I _hated_ it. I hated that side of me and still do." she took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. "At Yomogi, Sayaka-sensei and Okiura-san were telling me about how you used to act in the past. How you usually kept your distance and how surprised they were at your sudden change of heart."

Well…can't say that's not true.

"I was really confused when I thought about why you were so nice to me even though we just met." She admitted but still refused to make eye contact with me. "When nii-chan died I was passed around a lot. Until now I've been living with grandpa because...well, he's the only one that hasn't being fighting over my inheritance." Her expression screamed the words I often used to think as well.

_I'm a horrible person, aren't I?_

During her talk I must have gotten up from my seat because I found myself next to her in a matter of moments. She turned to me with a confused look in her eyes but I imagine the tears that would fall when she found herself alone in that deafeningly silent house. _She_ was the same in that aspect, too: always putting a smile on for everyone and bearing her own burdens in her own little corner. What could she be screaming out in her head, I wonder?

My hand reached out to her shoulder at first but I stopped. How would I comfort her? Simply tell her "everything is going to be alright"? No, that never worked. I wouldn't be any different from the people that pitied her. I had felt the same way she had many years ago. I was angry at the world for taking away everything that was important and precious to me. To make up for the hurt, I blamed others and shut them out—which eventually brings me full circle. Could I protect her like this?

_"The feeling of wanting her beside you is what made it possible for her to be reborn by your side."_

Kohaku's words came back to me and I tensed my fingertips. Brown eyes continued to stare at me curiously.

"Fujimoto-san?"

I shook my head. The hand that stopped near her shoulder instead decided to flick her forehead.

"You moron," was my input on her prior explanation. Her brown eyes grew wider in surprise. "So it's wrong to hate or get mad at someone? Idiot. It's alright. No use crying like it's the end of the world."

"I'm not crying!" she insisted and I was relieved to see the sadness begin to ebb away. After that she laughed. "But thank you, Fujimoto-san. Strange. Even though I came here to apologize, I ended up being the one feeling better. I don't know if I should say sorry or thank you!"

It was enough to see her smile like this.

"I'm adding this to your tab of debts that you owe me."

"Eh? A tab? How mean!"

I had to keep telling myself that.

* * *

Throughout the rest of the night we chatted about various things. Like, I found out that she was interested in becoming a preschool teacher like Sayaka. Somehow I wasn't surprised at that. She asked me a few things too, like how long I've lived here and what I'm interested in. I've never had this kind of conversation before. Whenever someone wanted to get to know me, I would brush them off.

She yawned after a while. I looked at the clock which read 11:47.

"It's late…" I crossed my arms to hide my growing embarrassment for my next line. She looked at me curiously behind sleepy eyes. "Maybe you should stay here for the night…seeing as it's dangerous for you to go back now."

The girl pursed her lips slightly and looked down at her empty cup in thought. "Is it really okay for me to stay over the night?"

"Yeah. Since it's kind of my fault you stayed over so late you can sleep on the futon. I'll get the couch."

"No, Fujimoto-san! You're still sick, aren't you!" she protested and grabbed the sleeve of my t-shirt. "You're going to get worse if you sleep there!"

"Idiot. I'm feeling a lot better now." I attempted to persuade her but she shook her head. To make her point she sat down on the couch and crossed her arms stubbornly. I stared at her with my brow raised.

"You're not gonna budge, are you."

"No."

"…don't blame me if you wake up with stiff shoulders." I sighed in defeat and went to the closet to grab the spare blanket and a comfier pillow. When I came back she was already beginning to fall asleep. Her head fell and rose back up while her eyes drooped lower and lower. "Hanato, you're gonna get a sore neck in the morning from sleeping like that. Jeez, you're already making me regret letting you sleep there." Her eyes snapped open in drowsy surprise. "What time do you usually sleep, anyway?"

"Uhm…around nine?"

"If you were so sleepy you should have said something, moron." I set the pillow down and she laid back, grabbing the blanket in the process. I sighed and knelt down next to her. "If you need anything feel free to wake me up, alright?"

"Okay…"

"If it gets too cold later I can get you another blanket okay?"

"Okay…"

"You're just saying 'okay' for the heck of it, aren't you."

"Okay…"

I sighed and got up. "'night."

"Good night…nii-chan…"

I froze and stared at her incredulously. She had already fallen fast asleep and her breathing was slow and deep. Once more I crouched down next to her, a frown settled down on my lips.

"Nii-chan…huh."

Is that all I am to her? Her brother? He was probably rolling in his grave now. Is this how Kojiro used watch over her? Would he talk with her until she fell asleep?

She took sighs of bliss only the sleeping innocent could express while I was left alone with my thoughts. Luckily this time, my hand moved of my own accord and not on impulse. Its fingers played with the curtain of hair upon her petite shoulders—relishing in its softness once more. I was never able to find out how _her_ hair felt since I always found an excuse to keep away.

"_She's not you…"_ I recall saying in my dream.

No, she's not. I highly doubt she'll ever become you again. But even if I'm only the brother she lost…I love her just the same as before. Different person or not.

I just didn't think it would hurt this much.

* * *

When I woke once more I realized the absence of…well, the crappy feeling of being sick. Hmm, maybe I should call Sayaka? Speaking of which…didn't she say something on the phone about today?

A faint cry from the kitchen (Something about a towel…?) was followed by a knock at my bedroom door pulled me out of my thoughts and I opened it. Hanato was there wide-awake with a matching smile.

"Good morning, Fujimoto-san!"

"Uh…morning." I replied, honestly not used to prolonged exposure to these 'happy auras'. Actually, I haven't had a morning greeting in years. Then I noticed on the front of her dress was a fresh dark splotch of what smelled like orange juice. Not to mention it was also wrinkled. It only dawned on me now that I forgot to give her a change of clothes to sleep in (No doubt she would have fallen asleep before she could change into them, though). She noticed my stare and giggled sheepishly.

"Erm…I woke up early and went grocery shopping at the store nearby. Unfortunately…I spilled some juice… I cleaned it up though!" she added the last part quickly as if she thought I was about to yell at her about more mess (Which I might have done years ago).

Instead I sighed. "You didn't have to go grocery shopping for me, Hanato."

"Take it as added tip for yesterday?" She suggested and I shrugged. I glared at the stain on her once pristine dress and went back to my room to grab some clothes and held it out to her. "Eh?"

"Change into these while I wash the stain out while it's still fresh." To avoid an inevitable awkward moment I walked past her and went straight to the kitchen, leaving her staring at me from the doorway to my room. Without turning, I added. "Well?"

"A-Alright!" she answered back and I heard the door close.

Halfway through making breakfast I heard a knock on the door. Since I couldn't leave my cooking I scowled and ignored it. It was probably some guy trying to sell crap anyway.

"I'll get it!"

When I turned to her voice my eyes widened and my voice became caught in my throat. I stared at the spot she was just at dumbly and nearly forgot about the burning eggs on the stove before turning it off. I heard her greeting whoever was at the door and walked over to make sure it wasn't anyone suspicious. It wasn't.

It was much worse.

A sandy haired male stood at the door with a rather polite yet confused look on his face upon seeing a female presence at my apartment. Not to mention said-female dressed in a men's dress shirt that reached to the middle of her thighs and basketball shorts that were still slightly loose even with the waistband.

You didn't think I was going to give her a pair of boxers like in those anime, did you? For one: that's just awkward, and two: I'll never look at those boxers the same way again. I'll feel like a freaking pedophile for christs sake (even though according to her file that's not the case. It just feels…wrong.)

The man at the door then saw me sharing his almost dumbstruck expression and grinned.

"Wow… I never thought I see the day, Kiyokazu."

"Domoto…" I groaned and fought the urge to face palm. Hanato blinked innocently, as if she didn't understand what Doumoto had insinuated about us.

"Eh?"

"And she looks so young, too! I never took you for a pervert, Kiyokazu but this is just…"

"Finish that and I'll tell your co-workers every single embarrassing secret of yours since you were ten." I threatened and he frowned childishly.

"Now that's stretching your authority as a lawyer too far." Domoto whined and I smirked.

"No, this is just what I learned when you started to get friendly with Sayaka a couple years back."

He winced and feigned hurt while smiled weakly. "C'mon, I thought you forgave me for that! We were in high school!"

"Anyway, why are you here?" I finally got to the point and he took out a small bag.

"Some medicine…but I suppose you're feeling better now, hm?" he looked at the girl.

"Hanato, the food is ready so you can go on ahead and start."

Luckily she took note of my 'leave' tone. "O-Okay." And she hurried to the dining area. Meanwhile I turned back to Domoto and took the bag from him. Just as I was about to close the door he spoke.

"So that's her, huh… The one you were freaking out about a couple years back. I know you're not the type to fool around, Kiyokazu." His voice had a hint of sadness to it and I understood why.

"Yeah."

"So, what are you going to do now? Because I also know you're not exactly the patient type when it comes to these kinds of things, nor are you the most…experienced." The smile was back on his face and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Go back to work, Domoto. I'm sure your assistant is throwing a fit trying to find you."

He shrugged sheepishly and walked off as I locked the door once more. When I turned back to my guest at the table she sent me an inquisitive look.

"Who was that?"

"Who knows." I shrugged it off and acted as if that encounter never happened.

She had also gotten me tea and I was set on getting the receipt for everything later. Breakfast was simple enough and soon we were left with enjoying her selection of hot tea.

"Nngh…" she suddenly winced and dropped the cup she was holding. Luckily for the most part it was empty but at the moment I couldn't care less.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes… I think so." She studied her hands for a while in surprise and then sent me a reassured smile. "Don't worry. I just slipped a little."

I sighed. "You're so freaking clumsy…" I spoke not unkindly—simply matter-of-factly as I normally did. I got up and began putting the dishes in the sink. "Your dress should be done by now. Go and get ready and I'll drop you off at the station."

"Thank you, Fujimoto-san!"

"Aa, just hurry up before we miss your train!" I called after her as she shut the door to the bathroom to change. Ah, much better. Now I don't sound like a love struck idiot anymore when I talk to her.

Imagine my shock if I had known about another conversation taking place as I relished in another personal victory.

* * *

"So, it's starting faster than I anticipated…" a large black bear sighed while stoking the fires in his Baumkuchen shop. "Four years has really taken its toll on the kid, huh."

The ever-familiar blue plushie on the counter crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "That bastard… He's going to mess up the last chance he has at getting her." He jumped to the floor and opened the door. "Anyway I'm leaving. I think it's time I paid _that_ shop a visit."

When the bell on the door jingled closed, a scarred silver beast growled quietly to himself and glared at the spot where his mentor had once sat. "I don't get it. It's his last chance, too. He can easily take her away from him this time."

Genko studied the one named Ginsei carefully. "Even though they still look the same, Iorogi's angel isn't in that girl. She's safe but still dormant inside the other one. But…" As he began taking the baked cake off the spit the fire in the oven cracked with a life of its own. "If this Fujimoto doesn't get his act together and decide what he wants, he's going to lose both of them just like Iorogi did. And this time, there will be no continues."

* * *

I'm evil aren't I? Genko, what the hell are you talking about! Hehe… Actually I wanted to split this chapter but decided against it. I feel like I'm going to end up making this run longer than I intended again. –sigh-

What's in the next chapter? I honestly don't know. I've written so many drafts that I got confused, XD. I kinda got an idea on how I'm gonna end this though.

By the way am I making Fujimoto too OOC? I'm trying to incorporate the fact he wants to be nice to her this time around without losing that…Fujimoto-ness of his. Hopefully he's content with this, XD. Also, that part where Kobato is talking about Maiko? I've rewritten that part so many times and I'm still not happy with it, but oh well. You'll live, right?

**REVIEW AND THE CHAPTERS WILL KEEP COMING!**


	8. 07: Admittance

**Y O R O K O B I – K A N A S H I M I**

Chapter Seven: Admittance

Listening to: Morning Moon (By: Yuki Kaijura)

LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN (Technically #8, but the prologue doesn't count as chapter 1 for me)! So since I got a lot of reviews, let's reply to ones from the last chapter. Sorry I don't do these every single chapter.

**Crosswire**: This story will **NOT** end in tragedy (Although there will still be sad moments. I'll try to give everyone a happy ending!). I mean, CLAMP has so many sad and bittersweet moments. However until it ends, you're stuck with Fujimoto's mental ramblings and decisions.

So, there's no need to worry _too_ much. And I think I'm glad I'm causing you brain damage… But if I cause you any more than that you won't be able to read this to the end now, huh? XD

**Cielmikitoaloislvr**: That's a loooong username… Did I spell it right…? -double checks- Okay I think it's right, XD. Just because you can't wait, I'll just be lazy now and take my time… Jk jk, I'll keep writing for everyone that loves the Fujibato-ness! Hopefully I don't disappoint later on when I get lazy!

**Macchi-chan**: By Kobato, it depends on which Kobato you mean, XD. I'm glad I got Fujimoto down. I'm gonna stop worrying about it now that a lot of people say I got him. I couldn't see him touching her shoulder at that time and I went crazy with what I was gonna do. With my crazy half-insane mind, I imagined Fujimoto flicking my head and calling me and idiot. Thus that part was born, rofl. Ah, insanity at it's best… Thanks for following the story!

**James Birdsong**: Seriously, the username is awesome. Lol. Your To-the-point reviews were great and to me it felt like praise that came in packs, XD. Yeah, doesn't really make sense but personally I don't think I make a lot of sense online.

**Panda-love14**: Oh yes, I ish very evil. Hehehe. You're making your first fanfic? I WANNA READ! Publishing my first fanfic was daunting. Now that I look back on mine and compare it with my current ones I feel a little embarrassed (My grammar was horrendous…-sad face-) but I still felt proud of myself. There's not one fanfic that's truly terrible. (With the exception of the trollfics that can burn…) And hey, sad fanfics can often be the best ones! I mean look at this one! It's still sad at times! If you want any tips, feel free to pm me (That goes out to anyone else out there that wants some tips!).

Thank you all so much for continuing to read Yorokobi! Seriously, it makes my day when I check the reader count six months or so, lol. What makes me even more happy are the reviews I read that push me to write faster, longer, and better.

* * *

There are a couple of things I can't tolerate, understand, and/or register calmly. There's the fact not many people believe in global warming yet, the pitiful way people waste their money on booze when they feel like crap, and when you're randomly punched on the way to work and dragged into an alley. Can you guess which situation I'm in?

Here's a hint: my day was starting out _wonderfully_.

My suitcase and files went flying in the other direction as I struggled to get back up. I wiped off blood from a cut on my bottom lip and assessed my attacker. He looked around my age but something seemed…off about him. His black hair was cut short but he allowed a curtain of hair over his right eye. The other eye was glaring down at me, burning crimson into my green. To put simply, he was a mix of a punk (Seriously, a red spiked collar?) and someone in the Yakuza… Don't ask about my explanation because it's not important right now. [1]

"What the hell?" I cursed and used the wall for support. "Look, if you want my wallet go ahead. Just leave me the hell alone."

The man seemed to growl and his expression grew darker. Even I had to flinch a bit. I could almost feel his animosity and/or testosterone (haha, very funny, Ms. Author…) roll off him in waves and I swallowed. _'Why did it have to be _me_ to get killed or maimed by a murderous psychopath?'_

Wait…killed?

Well shit. I might d—

Before I could finish my thoughts, my attacker pinned me against the wall. One arm pressed against my throat while the other kept an iron grip on my hand that was trying to push him away. I tried to move my other arm but hissed in pain. Guess I landed on it wrong when he knocked me to the ground…shit.

He kept the pressure on just enough so I wouldn't pass out. So either he wants something of mine, a client asked him to kill me (I thought that only happened on TV), or he's just crazy.

What sounds better to you?

"Tch, you're still no different from back then." The man finally spoke. His voice was oddly familiar…

"If this is going to drag out into…a long conversation." I managed to grunt out due to the lack of free air. "Then I think I'd like the idea of…oxygen."

He chuckled and eased the pressure just a bit but kept his hold on me against the brick alley.

"Look, kid," he began. His eyes bore into mine again and I suppressed a shiver. "Next time you hesitate just because your god damn pride or conscience stops you, she's gonna be out the door. And it won't end pretty, if you get what I mean!"

She? Who…?

Wait—this voice can't be…

"You can't be…that stuffed dog…?"

"…got a problem with that, boy?" finally the man sighed and let go of me. I rubbed my throat a bit and then inhaled…

And then punched him in the face.

He stumbled back more in surprise than pain and almost mirrored my earlier reaction. However, he wore a smirk on his cut lips.

"Did you think that was a good idea, ya bastard?"

"No," I answered truthfully. If this were any other situation, I would have stayed silent. Did I care at the moment? Nope. "But it sure made me feel a hell of a lot better." Anyway, on to more pressing matters. "Now explain. What did you mean by she'll be gone?"

"Exactly what I said, kid." He answered and slid down the wall opposite me. "I'm sure you already know about this Kobato's situation. She doesn't have any memories from four years ago. Hell, her existence in this world wasn't supposed to be known for another twelve years. Her age is a problem in itself, too." From the inside of his jacket, he took out a cigarette and lit it up. "Not only that, you weren't supposed to keep your memories at all either. I'd like to know how that happened, kid, because this is beyond f-ed up."

Deciding to play smart I ignored the continuous 'kid' title and pulled out my handkerchief, which held that small piece of candy. "I found this a few days after she disappeared." When I unwrapped it I was surprised to see a crack in it and a piece had broken off. "Did I hit it or something?"

He took a closer look and his crimson eyes narrowed. "That's not good. Hey, after witnessing what happened four years ago, did you think this turned into a normal piece of sugar?"

Well…I really didn't know how to answer that. Just then, my cell went off and my eyes widened to see that it was Haruka from work. "I'd like to sit and chat, but can we continue this later?"

"Whatever. I'll hold on to this and do a little investigating. When I got information worth tellin' you then I'll find you. Got any problems with that?" he asked gruffly.

"Yeah, one problem." I sighed and fixed myself. My wrist still ached a bit but nothing a little ice later can't fix. "Tell me your name."

"…Ioryogi." [2] He muttered before vanishing in the shadows of the alley despite the early time of day. I shook my head to bring myself back to reality and hurried off to my worrisome assistant.

* * *

Ioryogi didn't bother to make his presence known at the door. He stepped into the shrine and continued on towards the cemetery. His target was there, kneeling down in front of one particular grave beside a dead Sakura tree.

"Oi, how long are you going to keep this charade up?" he asked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Iorogi-san, I presume?" the female figure asked and stood up. Her icy blue eyes met his irritated crimson ones with interest. "Or should I say 'Ioryogi-san' now?"

The Otherworld lord growled low but then took notice of the grave the 'shrine maiden' was praying in front of. "Hanato Kojiro, eh? So you used her brother to get to her? That's to be expected from you."

She smiled sweetly. "What ever do you mean?"

"Don't toy with me, Saika." The girl stiffened at the name and then sighed.

"How long has it been since I've been called that, I wonder…?" The clothes she wore were engulfed in dark flames before they turned into a simple black dress that went to her knees. Around her neck was a long tattered scarf. Her pale skin went tan and her black hair became longer. "What business do you have with me?"

"The Otherworld sent you here almost fifteen years ago." Ioryogi began. "You came here to find and eliminate the abnormality that appeared in this world. In other words: you were after Kobato." He walked towards the dead tree and leaned against it. Saika scowled and her eyes followed his movements carefully. "But I know you. You always loved to play with your prey. That's the reason why you seduced her brother, am I right?"

Her eyes narrowed and her hands became fists. After realizing her own unusual behavior, she loosened up and smirked. "What? Are my methods looked down upon by the _great_ Demon Lord? And here I thought you liked me." Saika reached up and traced his lips. "But no—you left your people for that Angel." Her hand caressed his cheek before her sharp nails slowly dug down and created angry red marks. "Tell me. Weren't you angry that the person you loved decided to leave you?

"Were you?"

"What?" Saika drew her hand back at his sudden accusation. "What are you getting at?" She hissed.

Ioryogi took a step towards her as she stepped back. "If you had truly played succubus as usual, Kobato would have been dead years ago and you wouldn't be here. You would be doing more dirty work for your own pleasure." Ioryogi grinned darkly as Saika's eyes widened. "It's quite a nuisance that even I have trouble finding Dobato now. If memory serves, that was another one of your specialties wasn't it? A spatial barrier that keeps other spirits away—be they from Heaven or the Otherworld. You're not the one in danger, though… So why is there a barrier around _both_ of you? Come to think of it…that Fujimoto kid has one, too now. I had such a hard time finding him that I slugged him as soon as I saw him."

Saika opened her mouth but no such answer came out. Even her body began to shake from either shock or anger. Maybe even a little of both. "I…"

"Face it, Saika." Ioryogi still had that dark smile on his face and Saika fought to stop trembling.

"Shut up…"

"You loved him, didn't you?"

She stopped shaking. She stopped blinking. She had even stopped breathing for a moment. Ioryogi's gaze softened ever so slightly and he took a step back.

"…I'll come back tonight and give you time to prioritize. Whether or not you will help me is no concern to me, but at this rate you know what will happen." Ioryogi sighed and walked past her, leaving the demoness alone in the solitary graveyard beneath the dead cherry blossom.

'Why did you choose her…?' Saika thought as she slid down to her knees. The rough stone scrapped her legs, but the sting felt pleasant. 'I was the one you were always with before. I was the one who tried the hardest so you'd notice… So why?'

_"Saika Onee-san… I'm so sorry but I… I love him."_

"Why didn't you choose me?" Saika screamed at the haunting image of his retreating back. Even now she could hear his footsteps echo through the empty halls of the castle. Each step sounded farther and farther, and yet they tormented her with the slightest of tremors.

_"You don't have to love me back. But…will you look at me at the very least?"_

Her head snapped up at the sound of the familiar voice but was met with only silence. She didn't see a messy head of pinkish brown hair nor the kind brown eyes that welcomed her without words. Her bare arms wrapped around herself and she found herself unable to remember the strange human warmth that only ended a few years ago.

_"Maiko, smile for me will ya?"_

She frowned and touched her cheeks when her eyes burned and her sight blurred. This phenomenon was foreign to her. Her face felt warm and wet now and she felt water drip onto her fingertips. Immediately she scowled and roughly wiped the moisture away.

It wouldn't be good to let Kojiro see her face right now.

* * *

_15 years ago_

"That's my target? That brat?" Saika raised a skeptical brow as she studied the tiny child wandering around the woods. "You have got to be kidding me. I make one slip up and my job is reduced to clean up duty? That's hardly fair, Genko."

The larger male huffed and tried to make himself comfortable on the tree they were currently perched in. "I don't think slipping poison into wine bottles that are to be sent to the Elders count as a 'slip up', Saika."

"Hey, it's not like the poison would have killed them! It'll just keep them in the bathroom for a while!" she protested and crossed her arms. "So, any info?"

"Hanato Kobato. Age 6. The parents are always gone so that makes it easy enough. All you have to get past is her brother."

"Brother?" she hummed in delight in thought of her next victim. "Ooh, how old?"

"Saika… You know Iorogi greatly disproves of your methods."

She scoffed, "Like he'll ever pay attention. I've worked my butt off just for him to take a glance at me! And what does he do? He skips on war meetings to go spirits-know-where! So forget Mr. High-and-Mighty and back to the briefing!"

Genko sighed. "Her brother is 16 and is trying to study to be an engineer. However, he can't because—"

"Mmm, young and ambitious." Saika licked her lips, already planning her attack. Genko shook his head and left her to her devices. This was how she worked. Undercover. Normally she would be working in reconnaissance. She had worked it out. Seduce the brother, get close to the girl, tear the already dysfunctional family apart, and then go in for the kill. It had worked so many times before and she was itching to dish out her kind cruelty once more.

The demoness looked at appearance before pouting and snapping her fingers. Her black dress faded into a simple plaid red one and her hair shortened to neck length. Even her face and body structure changed to that of a teenage girl. It would do for now. Upon her decent down the tree, she heard a surprised yell from below and cursed her luck. Blown already?

"Miss? Excuse me, but are you alright?"

She looked down with disinterested eyes. It was a human boy with tousled brown hair and matching eyes. He practically screamed 'normal'. Already Saika could feel the fun begin to run out.

"U-Uhm… Yes. I seem to have a thing for heights…but I'm at a loss as to getting back down!" Saika automatically took on the voice of the shy klutz character that she assumed would work with him. Any second now, he'll tell her to jump into his arms and assure her that he'll catch her.

"Hup," she heard a grunt and before she could tell him not to he was up in the tree with her. The boy grinned sheepishly, even with a few scratches on his face and hands. "Why'd you want to get back down? It's great up here!"

Saika was surprised at the very least but recovered and fixed herself back on her previous branch. It was a few branches higher than his, but she figured he didn't want her perch to snap.

"So," he began. "What are you doing all the way here?"

"Do you mean in the forest or in the tree?"

"Either. Just talk." He smiled up at her and she smiled back sweetly.

"It's easy to think about other things in forests. It's even better in trees I think… It's kind of like…" she hummed. "seeing things in another perspective." He said nothing but she heard creaking branches soon after. Was he trying to get to her branch? Her voice rose in a fake worried pitch. "Oh, don't hurt yourself!" He merely grunted, obviously not used to tree climbing. Not wanting her victim to die so soon, she helped him up and scooted over. "Why did _you_ come here?"

The boy chuckled. "In the forest or the tree?"

Saika laughed. This boy was kind of interesting. "Either. It's not polite to make the lady do all the talking."

"Well, I'm actually looking for my little sister." He smiled fondly at the thought of her. "She gets lost here a lot so I came to find her."

"So then why aren't you looking for her now?"

He turned to Saika. "The logical answer is a birds eye view from the tree. The real answer…" the boy paused and scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner. She nodded slowly in encouragement.

'He's probably gonna say something like "You looked lonely and I wanted to keep you company" or simply brush off the question. Typical answers for a boy his age.' She thought and smirked on the inside. It was so easy to read men.

"It's not every day that I get to go out and climb a tree, y'know?"

"Huh?" Saika blinked in confusion. She was wrong again? She wanted to ask more but a shrill cry in the distance cut her off.

"Nii-chaaaaaan!"

The boy's brown eyes immediately lost their soft warmth that was focused only on her and became hard with concern and worry. 'How interesting', she thought. He slipped down from the tree instead of carefully climbing down like he should. The boy hit the ground with a thud and Saika lightly gasped at his sudden change of pace. He looked around and then ran towards the young girl Saika had seen earlier. She was crying loudly and slammed her tiny body into the boys body. "Nii-chan… Nii-chan!" she sobbed into his chest and he smoothed over her hair with his hands.

"Shhh, calm down Kobato-chan." He soothed and her cries began to turn into soft hiccups. "That's my girl."

Saika had leapt from the tree with ease, not caring if anyone saw since the boy was focused on her target. She put a hand to her chest and felt her heart thudding hard against her chest. In that short period of time she had forgotten her objective.

For the first time Saika felt confused.

This human boy managed to overcome all of her predictions.

'Luck. It's just dumb luck.' She convinced herself and walked closer to the pair.

"So, that's your sister?"

The boy turned his head without relinquishing his hold on his little sister. In fact, his arms tightened around her ever so slightly. He smiled again and Saika saw that warmth again.

"Yeah. Kobato-chan?" he called and she raised her small head from his chest. "This girl helped me find you. Now what do you say?"

The little girl stared at Saika with teary curious eyes before her head ducked back down. "Don't wanna…"

Her brother laughed and turned back to Saika. "Sorry. She's not usually like this with strangers."

"No, I didn't really help you find her to tell the truth…" Saika smiled weakly.

"Oh but you did!" he spoke and hauled the small six year old over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes (said 'potato sack' didn't seem to complain). "If I didn't see a little skirt action in the trees I would have had a harder time finding her."

Even though she knew that was probably a lie Saika had half a mind to smack him. Instead, she felt her cheeks warm up in shame and grumbled. "Skirt chaser…"

"Hey, hey, that's not very nice!" he laughed. It brought a small smile to Saika's face too. "I have a name you know. It's Kojiro. And yours?"

"S…" she paused and thought for a moment. "Maiko…"

After her quiet reply, she smiled softly at him. On the inside though, she had been wondering why the choice of name. Normally she just kept with her normal name. Why the change of tradition…? While caught in her thoughts, she didn't watch Kojiro's face warming just as hers did earlier.

Meanwhile on Kojiro's shoulder, the little girl (Who was conveniently facing the other way) was frowning. Her small hands clutched the back of her brother's shirt but he was too busy staring at the other girl.

Kobato didn't like her one bit

She would later learn that the feeling was mutual.

* * *

_Present_

After a grueling shift at work, I made my way to my apartment on the top floor. The thought of just sleeping on my couch was becoming more tempting. However, imagine my surprise when at my doorstep I see a familiar girl in front of my door. She had an apprehensive look on her face as she bit her bottom lip. Come to think of it she looked a little paler than usual...

"Hanato?"

She almost jumped and then turned to me. "Fujimoto-san!" When she went over to me her brows furrowed. "You're hurt!"

I blinked and then traced my bottom lip. I was reminded of my cut from the sting that followed. "Oh, don't worry about it."

Her hands reached up and cupped my face and her eyes searched for anything else. I fought back my urge to close my eyes by taking hold of her hands gently and moved them away.

"So, Hanato."

"…Yes, Fujimoto-san?"

"Mind telling me what you're doing at my door step?" I asked as her face flushed a dark pink. What? I didn't have anything embarrassing on my face, did I? She began fiddling with a large manila envelope in her hands.

"Well…I was wondering if…uhm… You see…" her eyes avoided mine and she was smiling nervously.

"What?"

"You're good at the piano, right…?" she finally began and I nodded slowly, urging her to go on. "Do you think…you can do me a small favor, Fujimoto-san? I swear I'll repay you for it!" Her voice suddenly grew and her eyes were giving me the infamous 'puppy-dog' look. Since I haven't been working at Yomogi for a while, the attack was super effective (What is this, Pokemon?).

"Well," I scratched the back of my head. A favor? I sighed exasperatedly and closed my eyes. "I can try..." When I reopened my eyes, her features had brightened considerably and I had to bite the inner part of my cheek to control myself. "Don't get me wrong, Hanato. Even I have my limits."

She thrust the envelope in my arms and gave me a wide smile. "Well, there's this performance that used to go to every year with my family…but I haven't gone in a long time. So…I was wondering if you could help me?"

"Performance? What, you're entering?" I asked and she nodded confidently. "So what does this have to do with me?"

"Can you play the piano for me?" she asked sweetly. I played with the thought in my mind. Well, Haruka had been wondering why I've been so distracted at work. It's even beginning to show while I work with clients (That's probably why my pay got a bit lower…). Surely she knew other people…right?

"Hanato, you don't know anyone else?" When her expression fell, I corrected myself. "I mean, I could probably make time after work but I can't make any guarantees to help you practice…" Hell, I'm actually behind on my hours…

"Well, you don't _have_ to practice with me." Hanato began to panic. It's probably because she's usually not so forward or demanding with her requests. "Perhaps you can just skim over the music? Maybe I'm pushing it…" she finally said after a few seconds and then smiled sheepishly. "Sorry then, Fujimoto-san." And before I could stop her, she walked past me. I couldn't help it. I really was tired from work.

I groaned and lightly fisted a handful of hair. No use complaining outside. I unlocked the door and plopped down on the couch. The envelope opened easily and I found some sheet music as well as tickets and a letter. My guess is that she was just going to leave it here instead of asking me face to face like she just did.

_Dear Fujimoto-san,_

_Hello. I feel a little silly to be asking you for something again. I mean we only met by coincidence, right? I didn't think that even after the paperwork was done you would want to keep in touch. _

_There's one last thing that I want to ask of you…because I really think I'm burdening you, Fujimoto-san. I was so happy knowing that there was someone that reminded me of my brother. But… I have to understand that you're not him as well. I probably made you uncomfortable telling you that you reminded me of him. But there's a big reason why I told you that. And there's another reason why I need _you_ to help me._

_I'm going to ask you my second and last unreasonable request. _

_I want to sing._

_Because if I sing, I think you'll understand._

_-Hanato Kobato_

* * *

Kobato manga readers, do you recognize those last words Kobato wrote in the letter?

A-ha! The secrets of Maiko are beginning to be revealed! I began to respect her now that I'm giving her a major role. Originally she wasn't supposed to be _this_ important… But then I had a major epiphany and she happened to fit the job description.

[1] Can you tell who I modeled Ioryogi after? Anyone who just thought Kurogane got it right. I got the idea from the rare manga appearances of his humanoid form and episode 20 of Kobato where Fai playfully says that Ioryogi and Kurogane sound exactly the same (their voice actor is awesome!). Oh, if you're wondering how he can do this, god let him since he was a _good boy_. Unfortunately he can only keep that form for at most ten or so minutes a day.

[2] This isn't too important but I wanted to point out why I'm calling him Ioryogi instead of Iorogi (his real name). In this story, he's still trying to atone for what he caused back in the battle between Heaven and the Otherworld. So until he feels like his sin is forgiven, he'll call himself Ioryogi. Also, has anyone noticed that I _**rarely**_ call the Kobato that Fujimoto talks with "Kobato"? I just call her "The girl" or "Hanato". There's also a reason for that. Make a guess in your **review**. Winner gets a cookie/brownie or any other cyber dessert. If no one gets it, then I'll answer the question.

Feel free to ask questions in your **review** too so I don't leave anyone confused. Cuz it's gonna get a bit more confusing next chapter. Maiko/Saika is going to have some more air time next chapter because it's mainly a flashback chapter involving her relationship with Kojiro. I told you guys he was important! Hehe. He must be so happy that I finally gave him some lines. Two people were speaking then. If Kojiro was one, I wonder who the other one was…? Hehehe, I'm so evil…

**REVIEW** and the chapters will keep coming! And btw, I in no way shape or form encourage smoking. So don't do what Ioryogi does! No smoking! Smoking is bad!


	9. 08: Memories of You

**Y O R O K O B I – K A N A S H I M I**

Chapter Eight: Memories of You

Listening to: Lacie (By: Yuki Kaijura. I'm obsessed with her. I can't help it). Seriously, there's a certain part in this story where you HAVE to listen to this song as you read. It could work in multiple ones, but at least listen to it once in a spot here. Well…you don't have to, but if you do it'll probably make you cry… I'll actually try really hard to make you cry for once.

I wanna keep Yorokobi under fifteen chapters. Because I feel like if it gets any longer than that then I'll never be able to finish it and it will be in an extremely long hiatus just like Kyrie Eleison.

THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

**Crosswire**: For fanboy squealing, you have earned 100 extra points on my favorite reviewers list, XD. Yes, I made the "Kobato versus Hanato" aspect somewhat open to interpretation in the past chapters. Juuuust the way I liked it.

As for Ioryogi's hair… I know he's a blue dog, but I couldn't imagine a kuro-puu look alike with blue hair. Yes, I'm bad, XD. So just imagine his clothes have some semblance and coloration of blue. Who knows? Maybe it was blue and he decided to make it black? XD

**YukinaKisaYanaseLVR**: Ahh, the meeting between Maiko/Saika and Kobato. That was fun to write… What was more fun to write might have been how Kojiro and her interact in this chapter, hehe.

**Macchi-chan**:

Me: Lur?

Kobato: Lur?

Fujimoto: …

Me: Lur…

Lol sorry about that, =D

**James Birdsong**: And the mysteries will hopefully begin to get solved in the coming chapters. If they don't…uh, well I fail as a writer of mysteries and shall not delve into that business, -sweat drop-

**Kataragurl27**: Thanks for liking this fanfic! Um...what else to say...

**Hello** (Awesome name to put, XD): DON'T DIE! Although…this review reply is almost 2 months late… Dang. I hope you didn't die before this chapter came out. If you did, my condolences. I shall place the fanfic on your grave in honor of your lovely memory and for loving this story. Amen

**LiLkawaiibunny**: I had that inner conflict as well the more I began to write this type of Kobato. It's a tough battle that is spanning a war inside my semi sane skull that is known as my mind. To end the war, I must continue to write, which I must and shall.

**XXxStrawberryAngelxXx**: Why is it that as I type your username, I'm suddenly craving chocolate covered strawberries? …Ah, I digress. I have updated and hopefully I can get this story finished before I'm off to college! If I don't…then that's just totally sad on my part… -sweat drop-

Please excuse some grammar errors. There are probably some in here (Seeing as how I wrote this a while ago and touched on only a few things now.)

Enjoy!

* * *

_Ten years ago…_

_Sing to me of the night_

_Like you did long ago_

_The moon was reflected in your eyes_

_And the stars in mine_

_The gods are watching over us_

_Like parents,_

_They scold us when we do wrong_

_But is loving one another bad?_

Saika stopped her song abruptly when she felt arms circle around her waist. The demoness in disguise giggled and leaned back into the embrace.

"How was college?" she asked and Kojiro shrugged while nuzzling her neck playfully, eliciting another laugh from the noir haired woman.

"Boooring," he whined and hugged her tighter. "You're lucky you don't need to go to school."

She somehow managed to turn to face him while staying in his embrace and she tapped his nose with her finger. "It's better than being cooped up in the hospital all day, isn't it?"

"I'd rather not go there at all." He sighed in exaggerated defeat. When she gave him a hard look he relented even more. "Yes ma'am…"

"We may be the same age, but you act like Kobato-chan." Saika joked as the girl in question appeared near the doorway.

"Nii-chan, you're back!" The pinkish brunette charged forward and hugged her brother, leaving him sandwiched between the two most important girls in his life.

"How's my birthday girl doing?" he chuckled.

"Good now that you're back!" her brownish amber eyes turned to Saika and narrowed childishly. "Nii-chan is mine!"

Saika laughed and let go of Kojiro. "Kobato-chan. You're eleven years old now. Surely there must be a boy you're interested in, hm?"

Kobato stuck her tongue out. "Boys are yucky!"

"Ouch…" Kojiro winced and ruffled his little sister's hair. "Really? No boys I should be worried about?"

Immediately at her brothers 'interrogation', her face flushed a deep red and she looked down at her feet. "T-There's no one…" When her brother continued to smile at her she blushed even harder.

"Kojiro, I think you're helping your sister develop her brother complex…" Saika said with a lilt that sounded half joking and half serious.

The birthday girl blinked in childish curiosity and the red was gone from her cheeks in an instant. "Brother compess? What's that?"

"You see, when a girl starts—"

"Ah, Kobato-chan! I think I hear grandpa at the door! Go greet him for me, alright?" Kojiro interrupted quickly. At the sound of her brother needing help the little girl went racing to the door as Kojiro let out a sigh of relief. Saika tried holding her laughter by turning around and clutching her stomach between trembling fingers. "Maiko…" He hissed and walked slowly towards her after closing the door.

"T-That was…priceless…!" she managed between quiet giggling.

He tackled the demoness, thus making the two of them land on the couch with a soft thud. Her cheeks were red and sore from laughing so hard but she sobered at the sight of her boyfriend's wicked grin. It almost reminded her of Ioro—

"…ko? Earth to Maiko!"

"Huh?" Saika blinked and the smirk was now replaced with a concerned expression.

Kojiro frowned and leaned in closer to the demoness. "Are you alright? You zoned out there for a bit."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled weakly and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "So, piano room door closed?"

"Yes." He gulped when she pulled him closer.

"Is it child proof?"

"Uh…"

"Sorry to say this but it's not…" came a voice from the door. They both turned slowly to see an elderly smile coming from the Hanato siblings' grandfather. He had a knowing smile on his aged face and at least one of the couch occupants were as red as a tomato.

"Uh… H-Hi, grandpa…!"

Needless to say, it wasn't Saika.

* * *

After an awkward conversation with grandpa and a tease session from his girlfriend, Kojiro sighed and took refuge in his room. He ran his fingers through his hair and fell back on his head to stare at his ceiling. He was twenty-one and quite proud of it considering his circumstances.

"You alright?" the voice came after the knock at his door.

He chuckled softly. "No 'can I come in'?"

Saika closed the door after entering and sat at the edge of the bed. He didn't budge from his supine state. The demoness sighed. Five years had passed since she had descended from the Otherworld and she had not gotten one inch closer to finishing her mission. Sure, she had gotten close with the Hanato brother, but…

"You're sighing again. What's wrong?" He noted and she pursed her lips slightly. "And you're beginning to pout. That means I'm right."

"Has anyone told you that you're annoyingly perceptive?"

"Annoying? Yes. Perceptive? Why thank you!" he grinned and propped himself up with his elbows. "Tell me about it."

"I wish it were that simple." Saika sighed.

"Then make it simple. I'm perceptive remember?" he tried making the conversation light but she couldn't bring herself to boil it down.

How could she tell him that the past five years were a lie?

How could she tell him that she was supposed to 'erase' his little sister?

How could she tell him that she loved him enough to risk _their_ lives just to be with him?

Just how far would her selfishness go, she wondered.

"You know…that I love you, right?" she began quietly and looked down at her lap. Kojiro nodded silently, encouraging her like she did years ago. "What if I told you that when I first met you, it wasn't by coincidence?" Kojiro tilted his head. Saika bit her bottom lip and conceded defeat. "…never mind."

"Oh c'mon," he whined childishly and she forced a playful smile while poking him in the chest.

"See? A kid to the core."

"…Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I don't know when someone's hiding something."

Saika's blue eyes widened in shock and she was faced with his serious brown ones. They were the ones rarely anyone saw. Even the demoness had only seen it less than a handful of times. They weren't suspicious, nor did they hold feelings of ill will, but they were analyzing her thoroughly and it took her off guard. She quickly recovered and raised a skeptical brow.

"Hiding? Kojiro, what could I possibly hide from your?"

He sighed and took her hands in his. "I've been meaning to ask you for a while…" Kojiro furrowed his brows and stared down at her hands. "There's another guy, isn't there?" Despite its structure, his tone was matter-of-factly. Her jaw dropped slightly in hurt shock and he corrected himself quickly. "Don't get me wrong—I trust you, Mai. I know you haven't been seeing anyone these past five years."

The demoness frowned and squeezed his hand softly. "If you trust me, then why are you so worried?" She averted her eyes and looked away as if she was bashful. "I'll admit… There was someone before." Her mind was reminded of the Otherworld lord that she tried so hard to impress. She didn't notice that her hold on Kojiro's hands tightened. "But it's not like that anymore. Don't you believe me?"

"If it's not like that anymore then why is it that whenever you say you love me, your eyes say otherwise? They're always focused on something else now." There was a pained expression in his face and Saika fought against every instinct—every shred of conscience left in her—that told her to just tell him _everything_.

"Kojiro, it's nothing." She tried to reassure him and forced a smile. "I—"

"Don't," he interrupted and withdrew his hands, unable to see her genuinely conflicted expression because he got up from the bed and made his way to the door. He paused when his hand touched the cold doorknob. Slowly he turned around to face her and a sad smile was on his kind features. "I'll see you downstairs later, kay?"

The human left the demoness alone in the room while she stared blankly at the spot he just stood.

* * *

The cheers and claps of the Hanato circle of friends and family sounded deafening in her ears. She had put up a strong front—smiling and joining in on the festivities—but she was elsewhere mentally. Kojiro must have realized this too and frowned whenever she refused to maintain eye contact longer than what was deemed necessary. Even Kobato's incessant nudging and large eyes couldn't distract him from the empty space beside him.

At last when the party was over and clean up had begun, he had cornered her in the study. Saika smiled weakly. "Kojiro—"

"I'm sorry." He cut her off and rubbed his temple. She stared at him in confusion and curiosity. "I shouldn't have said those things."

The demonesss's lips thinned momentarily before she gave up and sat down on a couch in the room. "No, it's my fault. Your assumptions were well founded. I'm not surprised that you were mad at me."

"But I'm not mad!" he near shouted and took the seat next to her. Kojiro heaved a deep sigh and folded his hands. "It's just… You're leaving me on edge. I can't tell what you're thinking anymore. I can't understand what you're trying to hide or why." Saika could see the tips of his ears turn red. "I'm just worried about you…"

"…that's what got you so worked up?" she asked with a soft laugh. He straightened himself up and turned to her with an incredulous look. His face was a light tint of red and his bottom lip formed into a pout.

"This is where the girlfriend is supposed to say 'You don't have to worry'!"

"I tried that. Look what happened earlier! You bailed on me! Besides, it's crazy. It's the craziest thing that can't possibly be taken seriously!" Saika laughed again and then leaned her head on his shoulder. "…if I told you, then you wouldn't want to be with me anymore. You would regret meeting me all those years ago."

Kojiro chuckled. The sound reverberated through her like a warm drink on a Christmas morning—a human act that she was grateful to experience. "If there's anything I don't do, it's regret, Mai. So c'mon…tell me." He gently rubbed her arm comfortingly and she exhaled.

"What would you do…if I told you that you could have been born completely healthy?"

He began to laugh again but this time it brought no comfort to the demoness. "Well of course that's possible. But I guess I'd rather it be me than—"

"No, you definitely would have been born healthy." Saika shook her head and looked him straight in the eye. "You would have lived a normal life. You could run around freely, climb trees and even continue school like a normal human." She paused. "But…your sister was born."

"Kobato…? What does she have anything to do with this?" at the mention of his sister; especially in this type of conversation, he grew somewhat anxious.

Saika took a shaky breath. "In a world not too different from this one, a human soul descended to earth and was sent to heal the hearts of others in order to have their wish granted. Her soul had a time limit of four seasons." Her blue eyes then averted his gaze again. "Unfortunately she was unable to complete her task and disappeared."

Kojiro frowned. "So what does this have to do with me?"

"…during her year stay, she was given one important rule. She is not allowed to fall in love with a person whose heart she had healed." The demoness looked at her hands for a while. It was as if the words she was looking for would appear in them. "The reason behind that rule is so that situations like these never occur. Those feelings between her and the person most important to her created some sort of 'abnormality.' His deepest wish was to see her one last time. That—among other things, was what made it possible for her to be reborn into this world. However one ripple leads to another."

"So what you're saying is," Kojiro began slowly. "I was never supposed to have a sister?" his matter-of-fact tone never ceased to amaze Saika. "I could have been born healthy and without a care in the world?"

She nodded.

"Well that's a relief then." A sharp gasp came from Saika and she stared at the human boy with a bewildered expression. He met it with a warm smile. "I mean, being an only child is kind of gloomy, don't you think?"

"Don't you get it?" she snapped. "You could have lived a normal human life! Your lifespan wouldn't be this short!" The demoness bit her bottom lip. "Aren't you supposed to be scared of dying?" Before he could reply she brought her head to her hands in frustration. "Why? Why did you have to be the one affected by _her_ birth the most?"

"C'mon, you don't know that! For all we know I could have been a monkey in another life." He tried to make this info session light but she scoffed.

"With your climbing ability that's highly unlikely…"

He cupped her cheeks with his hands and lightly pressed his forehead to hers. "Exactly. We don't know what could have happened. And even if I could have been born completely healthy, the fact remains I'm gonna die one day. Probably far sooner than you would considering what you've been saying."

"How—"

"Ah," he grinned. "Perceptive remember?"

"Annoyingly so," she grumbled but allowed the corner of her lips to curve upwards. Saika closed her eyes and took his hands in hers. "Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be?"

"I've been lying to you this whole time. I used you to get closer to Kobato-chan!" She cried out and bit her bottom lip. "

The only reason why Kobato-chan is still alive is because I can't bring myself to finish this job." Kojiro simply smiled at her, which in turn fueled her irritation. "Kojiro—"

"It's alright, Mai. And I don't regret it, y'know. Meeting you. What matters is that you haven't done anything to hurt us since you met us—me." He cupped her cheeks now and wiped away stubborn tears that escaped her notice. "I don't know what you're going to do and I'm not going to force you to make a decision that will endanger you…" He chuckled and she caught a self-depreciating tone within it. "Hah… What kind of 'loving brother' am I? I should be begging you not to hurt my sister, or swear that if you laid a finger on her I'd kill you."

Saika laughed as well. "Haha. Well, even if you did I can still kick your ass." The two of them shared the moment of happiness while silently agreeing on one thing.

One day at a time. They could deal with it all the complicated stuff later.

* * *

_Present…_

A tall figure was leaning against the metal frame of the swing set, arms folded in a lazy fashion. He looked up to the sound of footsteps to see Saika clad in her usual black dress. He eyed an intricate white sash around her waist that had designs so similar to those beings of heaven. That was new… It stood out against her clothing and tanned complexion. She greeted him with a small nod and proceeded to sit down on the seat of the swing. Her bare feet skimmed the soft dirt.

"Have you decided?" Ioryogi asked. Saika simply looked up to the midnight blue sky. One hand released its hold on the chains and reached up as if to cup the waning moon.

"Do you know why the moon disappears every month?"

He let out a disinterested grunt.

"Long ago, two people met and became lovers. However, their families deemed them unworthy of each other and forced them into an arranged marriage." Saika continued to stare at the moon. "Despite this, the two continued to meet—be it in the morning or at night. Until one day, the wife of the man became jealous and killed his lover." Her hands gently played with the edges of the white cloth around her waist. "With her dying breath, she told him to forgive his wife and that she loved him. The gods above took pity on her and—instead of going to heaven, made her goddess of the moon. Unable to handle her disappearance, he instead cursed his wife and killed her before killing himself to be with his lover. Angry yet still moved by his lover's strong feelings, they made him god of the sun. The two would always know of the other's existence but could never touch nor whisper words of love to one another. It was his punishment and her fate." Saika then played with the ring on her finger with an unexplainable look on her face. "However the gods occasionally turn a blind eye to their watch and she sneaks away to him. Hence, the moon disappears."

"And what became of the other man?" Ioryogi inserted, mildly surprising the demoness. She finally turned to him and chuckled.

"It never talks about him after that. Some say he moved on while others say he was the one who killed the man. Either way, his role was unimportant." She sighed and got off the swing. "He wasn't able to save the woman he loved, nor was he able to beg the gods to change their inescapable fate."

He took the konpeito out of his pocket and offered it to her. "Maybe this can change things." Saika examined the piece of sugar with a hard stare.

"It's becoming unstable. At this rate it's gonna disappear without being used." She put it up to the light and saw that a large crack was starting to get closer to the center. "And when that happens…"

"Kobato is gonna die again." He finished with a low growl in his tone. "That damn Fujimoto. He still can't decide between the two of them."

The demoness handed the konpeito back. "I'll give into your request this one time and help, Iorogi-sama," she grinned at his annoyed 'tch' at the title. "Is it alright…if I get something off my chest?"

He laughed half-heartedly. "What? Got a love confession or something?"

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" The crickets suddenly became deafening in the night as Saika swallowed.

"…look—"

"Ah, that felt better!" she interrupted him and stretched in an exaggerated manner. "I've been holding that in for god knows how long!"

"Saika."

"Don't get me wrong. I don't feel that way about you anymore. Your plushy phase was a total turn off," she wrinkled her nose in distaste. He didn't let up his look. "Yes?"

"…I'm not gonna say sorry but... Thanks…" He mumbled and her jaw dropped.

"Did I just hear THE Iorogi say thank you?" she laughed and rubbed a tear away from her eye. "Anyway why are you sayin' thanks? It makes me feel like the good guy here! I'm still here to make your life miserable for those years of skipping out on work that _I_ had to end up doing!"

"Oi, shut up," he warned and she could have sworn she saw familiar flames in his dark eyes. Dealing with his mood after made her wonder how Genko does it. "You know what I'm talking about, Saika." He answered her question. She bit her tongue. It was true. Too many times in the past Saika saw long brown hair instead of black and amber in the place of blue when she stared into his eyes. She saw white, almost transparent wings instead of leathery ones as dark as night. So many times she questioned whether or not she wanted to kill him for his ignorance or to chain him up and keep him all for herself—to force him to look at her and _only_ at her. Not her look-alike…

"_I don't regret it, y'know."_

'Funny. It took me this long to realize I don't either,' she thought and smiled sheepishly. Saika untied the sash around her waist before handing it to him. "This was supposed to be for you."

"Eh? What the hell is this?" he raised a brow at the white and gold cloth. After a few seconds, the feeling of the fabric and lingering presence on the sash brought a shocked look on his face. He turned to Saika. "How did you get this?"

"Suishou would have wanted you to have that." She said with a voice above a whisper. Saika turned to leave but he stopped her.

"Kojiro must have been one hell of a guy. I'll be sure to give in a good word for you up top, Saika." Saika could imagine him smirking. "Who knows? Maybe the moon doesn't have to wait anymore."

Instead of answering, she left the park, unable to hold in her grateful sob any longer.

* * *

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

The number you are calling is not available. To page—

"Damn it!" I cursed and slammed the phone down clumsily in its machine. My fingers rubbed my temples and I groaned. Maybe I'm overreacting. It's only been a day since she dropped off that package… She just hasn't decided to return any of my calls.

…Maybe one more time.

Yeah, maybe she was in the shower, or sleeping, or—or outside gardening. While my mind was going into overdrive my hands were already at work picking up the phone and dialing a number they memorized muscle by muscle.

"That's the eighth time you've tried today, Fujimoto-kun," said a voice from the door. My fingers froze on the dial and I matched gazes with my assistant. Despite her even tone, her eyes held a concern that I had once seen (And occasionally still saw) in Sayaka's and Chitose-san's eyes. Haruka sat down across from me and reached over the desk and let her fingers brush against mine in a surprisingly friendly manner. "Wanna talk about it?"

I thought about it for a moment and let out a resigned sigh. My hands relinquished its death grip on the phone and I ran my fingers through my hair. When I looked at her again she stared at me expectantly and I coughed awkwardly. Like hell I knew how to explain the core of my stress…

Haruka tapped her finger on her lip in thought. "This is…about a girl?"

I slowly nodded. A large part of me could not believe that I was actually going to have this kind of conversation in my life. But hey, at this point I'm desperate. That 'Ioryogi' punk hasn't contacted me yet and Hanato still isn't picking up her phone. Is she ignoring me again?

"What, did she dump you or something?" Haruka's eyebrow rose and her lips formed an interested pout. Already I was beginning to regret this decision.

"…No. We're not together." I answered carefully—fully aware of how the female species can over-exaggerate events or gossip. "We're just…"

"_You're the one I care about the most, Fujimoto-san!"_

…What were we?

Were we friends? Acquaintances? I must have known her for perhaps two months now but we've never verbally agreed on the ground we stood on. Was that what people normally did?

"Aw, that's what all men say when they don't wanna get in too deep." She said and my eyes widened. Her lips formed a cat-like grin and I felt my cheeks heat up. "You liiiiiike her, don't you, Fujimoto-kun?"

"Iwasawa-san—"

"Fujimoto-kun, I told you to call me Haruka. Although I'm your assistant, right now I'm a friend. Alright?" Haruka stared at me seriously and I gave up. She was like the nosy aunt I never had. I guess that doesn't sound so bad…

"…thanks." I allowed a smile and she got up from her seat.

"I don't think there are new cases today, so you can wrap up early. Just put the files away and make sure you have the court cases I gave you last week in your drawer." Haruka winked. "Now, since I was so nice it's time for me to charge you for my service."

I raised a brow skeptically. "Yes, Haruka-san?"

"Instead of calling her, go take a personal day and see her." My assistant shook her head as if that was the most obvious thing to say. "Seriously, seeing you attempt to call a girl is almost painful."

* * *

Forget resting at home. Right after work I jumped on the next train and rushed over to her house. The sun was setting, casting hues of red and orange over the trees. I didn't even know what I was going to say to her but something in my gut told me I _had_ to see her. My legs dragged me up the hill while I proceeded to call her from my cell.

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

_Ri—_

"…hello?"

"Hanato?" I answered quickly and a bit louder than I intended. I paused to collect myself. "Are you alright? You haven't been answering your phone."

"Fujimoto-san, what happened? You sound so worried." she asked curiously on the other side of the phone and I felt my cheeks redden ever so slightly.

"And? Your point?" I covered up my embarrassment with what I thought was my uncaring tone.

"I'm sorry," she spoke softly and I sighed heavily.

"Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong." Hanato didn't say a word for a few seconds and I furrowed my brows. "I'm outside right now."

"O-Oh, really?" she sounded surprised but I heard the slightest tremor in her voice. I can confidently assume that she understood my intention. "I'm sorry; I can't make it to the door right now."

"So…you're home but you can't get the door…" I replayed slowly.

"Kobato-chan, get back in bed." I heard another voice. It sounded muffled on the phone but I could just make out a male tone.

"Hanato?" I called for her when she didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Ah, maybe you should call back another time, man." The voice said. "Kobato needs to rest a bit."

The voice suddenly became clear to me since he picked up the phone himself. "What's wrong?"

"Look, nothing to worry about alright? Call back tomorrow and—"

"I'm outside."

"…Fine. I'll open the door, Fujimoto. You're not gonna like what you hear though."

* * *

The long awaited chapter is here! Sorry it's so late. I was having a war with myself on how to end this and how to get there—the latter being the hardest part now, XD. So, right now it's sounds like a storm is brewing…hmmm…this doesn't bode well, does it? Sorry if my writing is a little all over the place. I'm outta sync with Yorokobi.

Currently it is 1:44AM on my side. You gotta applaud that. I could have waited for a better time. XD, god I love you guys.


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